In order to improve our sustainable credentials, we need to change the way we think and operate in travel retail. The biggest opportunity for us as an industry when it comes to acting sustainably is the transition from a linear economy model to a circular economy.
In today’s linear model of implementing branded spaces, we take resources from the environment, make furniture and POS materials and dispose of them at the end of their use, sometimes after a single promotion. Unfortunately, the majority of materials used in interior fit outs and furniture production are made from non-sustainable resources, contain highly toxic chemicals, contribute to CO2 emissions and are non-recyclable, non-reusable, non-compostable or biodegradable.
In the near future, we need to move to a circular model when implementing branded spaces, where we recover by-products of other industries to create sustainable raw materials, we reuse furniture over and over again to prevent waste and create savings, and we recycle the materials used at the end of their life cycle.
To achieve this, we follow the principles of the circular economy as outlined by the Ellen McArthur Foundation:
Design out waste and pollution
Keep products and materials in use
Regenerate natural systems
Concourse can help you to become more sustainable.
