Havaianas Asia Pacific has announced a pledge to collect 10 percent of total sold flip flops from its APAC business via its ReCycle stations in stores across the region. The pledge, which the brand aims to meet by 2030, supports Havaianas’ strategic ambition to take the necessary operational steps to contribute to a more sustainable future.
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In addition to the collection goal, Havaianas will ensure 100 percent of its monobrand stores in APAC feature collection points by 2030. The pledge is supported by Alpargatas, the parent company of Havaianas, who has a number of goals that align with the UN’s sustainable development goals, and aims to contribute to a more circular economy whilst reducing impacts on the environment.
“We are proud to make this pledge that sets out to mitigate the impact on the environment here in Asia, by reducing the amount of rubber flip flops ending up in landfills,” said Robert Esser, President of Alpargatas, S.A. for APAC and China.
“Alpargatas and the Havaianas brand is seeking to make it easier for people to make more conscious choices in their daily lives. To do this, we are immersed in our processes and products, seeking innovative solutions and rethinking traditional logics, from raw materials, production, transport, to the possibilities of final disposal and new lifecycles.”
Source: Havaianas
The ReCycle initiative invites consumers to consciously discard their old Havaianas in the ReCycle bins located in Havaianas stores. To give the rubber material a new life, the collected flip flops will be sent to a local recycling partner and be transformed into a new eco-friendly product, such as rubber playground floors to be used in schools, sports infrastructures such as running tracks, or home and office items such as mouse pads and table mats.
Australia was the first market in APAC to launch the programme in October 2021, in collaboration with local partner Terracycle. The successful Australia trial and the results from other global markets, has led Havaianas to roll out the initiative in additional APAC locations since October 2022, including in Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. ReCycle will also launch in Taiwan and New Zealand in 2023. Through these seven markets, Havaianas have already set up more than 100 stores with collection points, and foresees another 20 monobrand stores to add collection points during 2023, achieving 40 percent of the 2030 goal, by the end of 2023.
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To help reach the goal to collect 10 percent of total sold flip flops from its APAC business via ReCycle stations in the region, Havaianas APAC will be launching a number of initiatives that will help raise awareness for ReCycle, and create incentives for people to participate in the scheme, such as gifts and discounts on future purchases.