The 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. The 3Rs are one of the most sustainable and environmentally conscious strategies in the management of waste production and the proper utilization of available resources. Sustainability is the leading long-term impact that changes and heals the world in its socioeconomic and environmental areas. Improving the quality of life, looking for innovative steps in preserving the ecosystem and biodiversity, as well as addressing present global challenges so that future generations would still have access to natural resources, are some of the advantages of sustainable living.
In the Retail Industry, the practice of a Circular Economy can prove to be highly beneficial. Circular economy in the retailing industry is a business model and strategy that is used to – Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, Produce, Distribute, and Reuse again. The method allows businesses, organizations, startups, entrepreneurs, brands, and the government to reduce the use of new materials and the consumption of new resources, minimizing the quantity of waste produced. This way the Earth and its finite natural resources can take a break from humans to heal and regenerate.
In circular retailing, many products and materials are collected through either giving back or returning, recycling, upcycling, and ethical sourcing. This sustainable green business method helps the regeneration of the ecosystem as a whole, helps in the reduction of waste produced, as well as helps in preserving and conserving the Earth’s habitat and environment. Many organizations in the retailing industry are shifting towards sustainable supply chain operations, integrating a fundamental corporate social responsibility, and leaving a positive environmental impact.
Therefore in this article, we will be sharing deep insights into one such retailing business that’s the opposite of fast fashion. With conscious consumerism at Manymoons – a circular economy retail startup venture, founded by Co-Founders – Carolyn Butler, Rich Amsinger, and Meris Butler. Carolyn Butler – the CEO founded Manymoons with the drive to encourage and empower young kids and their mothers in – “disrupting the antiquated and destructive take-make-waste system”.
About the Co-Founder and CEO at Manymoons – Carolyn Butler:
The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Manymoons is Carolyn Butler. Having a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Columbia University, Carolyn runs a huge retailing business besides being a wife and a mother. Residing in New York, in the USA, with her family, Carolyn had an inspirational idea that led to her starting Manymoons.
Carolynn Butler married Rich Amsinger who is the second co-founder of the company. When the couple became first-time parents, they realized that infants grow very quickly and easily outgrow their clothes in a matter of months, let alone the first few years. The growth spurt in young children is fast and very active. The couple had a huge bunch and basket of their child’s outgrown clothes and wanted to do something about it. Carolyn and Rich ideated on this together and soon started Borobabi in the year 2020 – a retailing business that sells as well as rents clothes, recycles, and composts clothes sold/rented.
About MANYMOONS:
The clothes that were sold and rented by the customers at Borobabi were all sustainably sourced, organic, and natural, making them completely safe and soft on children’s wear. The brand became the 1st Circular Economy Retailer in America, which was founded in 2020 and located in New York, USA.
Mission Statement – “To empower our community in disrupting the antiquated and destructive take-make-waste system. With conscious consumption and design, we can make great changes together for the health and future of our shared planet”.
Borobabi was soon rebranded to be named Manymoons. To continue their sustainable and ethical business practices, Manymoons soon offered a program known as – Give Back. This reward program allows customers to buy/rent their products and return them at any time with a reward fee. This encourages customers to give back and return the purchased/rented clothes in return for an appropriate reward fee of 20%, as well as see the clothes being reused by other children, with the hope that sustainable fashion will be continued.
The sustainable efforts that Manymoons has incorporated are through it being America’s 1st circular economy retailer by being able to regenerate natural systems by only sourcing and using organic, certified, and natural cloth materials. Their clothes go through GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifiers and are hence a Certified B Corporation company and business. A Certified B Corporation company that meets the high standards of social and environmental impacts – Manymoons has indeed eliminated the burden of waste production in environmental pollution, keeps their products in use for an extended period, and responsibly recycles and composts unusable clothes.
They recycle and upcycle the clothes so that it is reused as much as possible. When unusable, the clothes are recycled or composted by Manymoons themselves. This allows the reduction in waste production and elimination with this green business strategy. Careful inspections are done, clothes are EWG approved and an in-house team repairs the clothes of any concerns, recycles, and composts responsibly. The global impact that Manymoons has achieved is cutting down on almost 41,069 million tons of Carbon dioxide emissions, and saving over 2,053 Virgin Cotton and almost 198,772 Water-Drinking Ultrasonography (USG) of fresh water.