A global logistics company has teamed up with a Hong Kong-based non-profit which specialises in giving fashion items a new lease of life in a unique eco-friendly partnership.
CN Logistics International Holdings will provide logistics-related support in Macao – ranging from warehousing and delivery services to sorting recycled clothing – to Redress, an environmental NGO which works to reduce waste in the fashion industry by reselling pre-loved products and donating second-hand clothing to charities that support people in need. The NGO currently has 34 recycling points in both SARs.
“With the rise of public awareness on environmental protection, fashion brands have increasingly valued corporate social responsibility and pursued the sustainable development of all processes within the supply chain,” said CN Logistics CEO Ngan Tim Wing.
“In the future, we will promote the development of this area, and strive to become a total solution provider integrating commercial logistics and environmental solutions.”
The new partnership has been warmly welcomed by Redress, which had been struggling to fulfil its role.
“We operate primarily in Hong Kong but we have re-sell partners in Macao,” said Redress executive director Nissa Cornish.
“The only way we’re able to do that is through the support of CN Logistics as we don’t have a physical office in Macao. They make it possible for us to expand our clothing collection programme.”
Research by Redress indicates there is a massive textile waste issue in the two SARs. In Hong Kong alone, an average of 392 tons of textile waste is thrown away every day, and it’s estimated that roughly half of that is clothing which goes straight into landfill.
“The purpose of our clothing collection – or what we call our take-back programme – is to give people the option to make their own wardrobes more sustainable,” said Cornish.
“So it’s about extending the life of clothing and making that transparent and easy to do for customers and for consumers.
“The reason we work with a partner like CN Logistics is that we’re quite a small charity. We only have a certain amount of capacity to collect, store and sort used clothing. But by working with CN Logistics we can reach a lot more people and provide a wider service.
“CN Logistics also helps us to weigh and sort used items. Our aim is to send zero clothing to landfill.
“Most of the clothing people throw away can be reused or re-worn. So we aim to achieve that through resell, donations, our charity partners, and up-cycling and down-cycling the clothing instead of throwing it away.
“Less than 1 per cent needs to go to landfill. CN Logistics help us separate the articles of clothing that cannot be reused, like mouldy leather or old running shoes, things we don’t have any solutions for.
“But the more critical part of their role is related to the transparency that they help us to achieve and the scale at which we can recycle clothing with their help. We couldn’t do it otherwise.
“They’re really open to supporting. They’re doing it not just to tick a box on their CSR but because they also believe in creating a more circular economy and an ecosystem where people can partner with them to recycle.”
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