I have always been an advocate for being environmentally friendly. This is not a new trend, like it may be seen to be right now, reusing stuff, recycling consumable waste, planting trees, caring for the environment, we have been saying this stuff for years. We can make a difference, if only we look beyond the initial costs.
Should everything come down to cost? Cheap now but expensive later? This is an interesting one as far as mannequins are concerned, but it can apply to anything that is non-consumable.
You can choose whether to be linear in your purchasing or circular. As Director of Mannakin, I’ve chosen the latter. Let me tell you why.
Mannequins can literally go on forever, given the proper care and maintenance. Our mannequins spin in circles. They go out on hire, come home, get renovated, packed and ready for the next adventure. They are constantly being cared for and that means they are better each time they go out on hire. Click here to see what mannequins are available to hire.
For many, our hire service is a convenience. Most who hire don’t actually have the storage space or future need, that is where we come in.
But what about buying your own – surely that is cheaper?
Well, depending on where you purchase them, I think Amazon or eBay still do a £30 job delivered, but it will look like it’s eaten all the disco biscuits. Or let’s go higher and say its £300 a piece or the average price of £600, that’s great, it will last a long time. BUT and here is the BUT, unless you maintain them, pack them carefully, handle them carefully, they will end up looking awful. You only have to glance into the windows of many big retailers to see the state of their mannequins. And then, is that how you want to show off your brand? Really?
In a recent study, we calculated the C02 emissions on the supply of mannequins. As seen in the image, clearly reusing a non-consumable item, such as a mannequin (I’m sure you can think of other similar products) cuts the demand for production and therefore less emissions from manufacturing. It is a challenge to get this message across, to inspire people to see the bigger picture.
At least, the recent surge in trends surrounding slow fashion, over consuming etc to save the planet is bringing these conversations to the table. My job is to promote the slow mannequins, something that should be relatively easy.
Image Credit Know Carbon
