Fashion’s environmental impact: accounting for use and end-of-life stages.

Kering is broadening the scope of its environmental profit and loss account (EP&L), which now includes the impacts associated with its products use and end-of-life. How? By integrating new data to the analysis such as the frequency of products use, their lifespan, consumers care habits and also their future (whether discarded, recycled, resold items, etc.).

According to the study, use and end-of-life represent on average 8% of the total impacts. However, this proportion varies according to the categories of products considered and can be as high as 23% for Ready-to-Wear items (frequency and intensity of care higher than for leather goods, shoes and accessories).

However, be careful with the results which, as in any LCA, depend on methodological choices. Note here the exclusion of the impact associated with the release of microfibres into the water due to synthetic fibres washing.

Integrating these critical stages underlines the potential of reduction linked to products durability, both in terms of global lifespan and also second (or even longer) life.

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