Resale, repair, rental, refill… could this be the new way to shop?

**Amber Minogue** (0:04)
November is synonymous with Black Friday. Great deals, but at what cost? Overconsumption is endangering our already fragile planet. Is it time to change our ways? This week, Do You Really Know is highlighting concepts and initiatives about reducing our consumption. Resale, repair, rental, refill. Could this be the new way to shop?
Thanks for asking. You might have heard of reduce, reuse, recycle. A motto with the aim of encouraging us to think about how we consume and consider the impact that buying lots of stuff has on the planet. But now the high-end department store Selfridges has launched a new campaign, Project Earth, to try and change the way we shop. Resale, repair, rental and refill is their response to customers' growing demands for sustainable shopping and a move away from fast fashion and disposable goods. What is the aim? Circular Trade, which is the name for this type of consuming, currently makes up less than 1% of transactions, but they hope that by 2030 it will account for 45% of sales.
How will it work? Inspired by online platforms such as Depop, which sell second-hand fashion, Selfridges is planning on making resale a more integral part of its business as people grow tired of fast throwaway fashion. Reselfridges, as the initiative is known, will assemble a curated collection of vintage clothes, while customers will also be able to sell their own accessories for store credit. Repairing goods has also become more popular. Selfridges' flagship London branch kicked this off by offering to repair trainers, but it was such a success that this will now be available in their Birmingham and Manchester stores.
When it comes to recycling, they're working alongside other brands such as Prada to use recycled materials such as nylon made from plastics recuperated from the ocean, as well as using sustainable fabrics like organic cotton. You will also be able to rent items, including kids' wear, accessories, fine jewellery and menswear for between four and 20 days, and refill services will become more available. What other changes has Selfridges planned? Selfridges, along with more than 20 brands, including H&M, Zara and Gucci, have also signed up to the Fashion Pact, which was launched at last year's G7 meeting. The pact is a response to fashion's impact on the environment, and they have three core goals, stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity and protecting the oceans. In line with this, Selfridges is pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its stores and offices by 2023 and eliminate waste by reducing unnecessary packaging. And Selfridges is not alone. An increasing number of brands are seeing the need to change their business model. John Lewis and IKEA are now also offering rentals. IKEA is also investing in reusable energy and committing to eliminating single-use plastic. There you have it.
Now you know if resale, repair, rental, refill could be the new way to shop. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you really will know for sure.
Bababam.