EP 206: Mastering the Circular Economy in Retail

Retail Unwrapped - from The Robin Report

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Guest: Rebekah L. Matheny, NCIDQ, IIDA
Associate Professor | Interior Design | Department of Design and Founder & Director | REBEL Sustainable Futures Lab
Savvy retailers and brands already have a strategy to respond to the ongoing climate crisis. Join Shelley and Rebekah Matheny, an expert in sustainable design at The Ohio State University, as they discuss the implications of consumers’ impact on the planet. They cover sustainable solutions by making incremental changes despite the popularity of fast fashion and excessive consumerism. With circularity in mind, retailers should rethink store design and product life cycles, from raw materials sourcing to post-consumer reuse and recycling. While some brands, like Zara, are starting small by launching second-hand services, a more systemic change is needed. Gen Z and the Alphas can spot greenwashing a mile away and their priority for authentic sustainability may be just the catalyst for a viable circular economy in retail.

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