The eco-trend is more and more “in”

Organic t-shirts in the collections of popular brands are almost a standard. LPP, a Polish clothing company, goes one step further in terms of environmental care. The last AW collection by Reserved included a premium line with 40% of garments made of ecological materials. From next year on, the number of eco products in the entire range of the flagship brand of LPP is expected to increase to several percent. The company also encourages customers to take an ecological approach to their wardrobes, which is why, since this summer, Reserved has been running a clothing collection programme in 20 stores in order to provide the clothes to those in need through the LPP brand.

Already a few years ago, UN Member Countries defined 17 sustainable development goals that address the biggest global problems. Many of these goals relate to consumption, climate protection or the environment. Sometimes we do not realize that companies can help to achieve them. Importantly, more and more of them are taking environmental considerations into account in their daily business decisions. This trend is also intensifying in the clothing industry.

– It should be borne in mind that companies are able to develop in a sustainable way, especially when the pro-ecological approach is strategically thought out and reflected in every area of the company’s activity. In LPP we call this approach ‘eco aware’. It is an element of our perspective on the clothing industry – comments Anna Miazga, CSR Coordinator in LPP.

There is definitely more to eco fashion than merely using ecological fabrics. Not only the sources of raw materials used in production are important, but also the way they are produced and all the processes that affect the value of the product. The idea of eco aware has been reflected, among others, in the premium line of the Autumn-Winter collection by Reserved. For the first time, 40% of the selected garments from the offer were made of ecological materials and in a sustainable process. The collection includes e.g. denim trousers consisting of 98% organic cotton or a jacket made of 64% recycled polyester.

In LPP the ecological approach to fashion begins even before the sketches of clothes reach the production department. Designers and buyers take part in workshops where they learn what designing with eco-friendly materials is all about and how to reduce the use of natural resources. It is supposed to be a source of inspiration for them to introduce ecology into their collections.

– Designers are important initiators of changes in the clothing industry. It is their approach that determines whether the fashion for ecology will prove timeless. In order for ecological fashion to have a measurable impact, it must become universal, therefore it should reach as many customers as possible – adds Anna Miazga.

In the clothing industry, the product route from design to customer hands leads through many stages, from production, through distribution and sales. As part of the eco aware approach, online purchases of the LPP brands, Reserved and Mohito, are sent in packaging made of recycled cardboard. This solution completely eliminates the outer film used so far. Cardboard boxes are also made in a way allowing for reusing them during a possible return of goods. This solution will be gradually implemented in the online stores of the remaining LPP brands.

However, responsibility for environmental care rests not only with companies, but also with customers. It is up to consumers themselves to decide what happens with textiles next. With that in mind, as part of the eco aware approach, the Gdańsk-based company decided to launch a pilot project consisting in collection of clothing, with the aim to encourage customers to give away unnecessary clothes to people in need, instead of throwing the garments away.

– The clothing industry is still looking for ways to prepare their fashion collections in a sustainable and more thoughtful way. An example of that is our action consisting in collecting garments which was preceded with a period of thorough preparations. Acquiring unnecessary clothes is just one step, but you also have to make sure where they go and whether the clothes will be ethically reused. That is why we decided to establish cooperation with St. Brother Albert Aid Society which runs night-shelter facilities all over Poland. Thanks to this, 100% of the items of clothing collected in Reserved stores go to those in need – concludes Anna Miazga.

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LPP SA is one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. For over 25 years, the Company has consistently carried out its operations in Poland and abroad, being successful on the demanding clothing market. LPP SA manages five fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito and Sinsay. The company has a chain of 1,700 stores with the total area of over 1 million sq.m. and operates online stores in 11 European countries. LPP employs over 25 thousand people in its offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia, and Africa. LPP SA is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland index.