Sustainable fashion brand Maakola has partnered with blockchain technology company Genuine Way to create WearMe30Times, a new tool that helps consumers reduce their fashion footprint by encouraging them to get more wear out of their clothing. The initiative was launched on 22 October 2020 at an event in Milan, which was streamed live online.
WearMe30Times harnesses technology to help consumers reduce their impact on the environment by extending the lifespan of their clothes. Every piece of clothing from a participating brand includes a garment label with a dedicated QR code.
By scanning that QR code consumers can keep track of how often they wear the garment, building up to a goal of wearing everything at least 30 times – a goal inspired by eco-activist Livia Firth’s #30Wears campaign. Gamification and social media challenges create an engaging experience to help them to reach that goal.
Maakola and Genuine Way developed WearMe30Times to encourage a change in consumer behaviour.
Until now, consumers have been considered passive actors, an external part of the value chain. WearMe30Times was born from the realisation that it’s not just brands who have the power to influence climate change – consumers have a part to play too.
The global fashion industry accounted for around 2.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 (4 percent of the world’s total).
In order to stay on the 1.5-degree pathway established by the Paris Agreement, the industry needs to cut these emissions by 1.1 billion tonnes – with changes in consumer behaviour driving 20 percent of that reduction.
WearMe30Times empowers consumers, helping them understand how their actions impact the environment by monitoring their footprint.
Simply put, the more often we wear a single piece of clothing, the smaller our fashion footprint is – and that has a direct impact on our planet. With WearMe30Times, consumers and brands can work together to create a more sustainable fashion ecosystem.
“Climate change might feel like too big a phenomenon – one that affects only governments and multinationals. Instead, each of us has an important role that starts with the choices we make every day. As brands, we have a responsibility to equip consumers with tools that can help them understand how their behaviors influence directly the footprint of fashion. WearMe30Times was created to allow consumers to be active players in achieving sustainable fashion and reaching the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.” – Aurora Chiste, CEO Maakola.
“The next digital revolution is the one that includes all physical objects. The world of fashion needs to have a tool to encourage consumers to develop ethical consumption practices. WM30T is a powerful and concrete initiative that raises awareness of the waste in the fashion world. We built WeareMe30Times to engage users in a gamified system that makes saving the planet fun. ” – Walfredo della Gherardesca, CEO Genuine Way.