Japan Airlines, “Any wear, Any where”, pioneering sustainable tourism?

Ever had to rack your brains on what to pack for a short or a long trip? Well, JAL has recently started a trial program, ‘Any wear, Anywhere”, where passengers flying to Japan can rent clothes for their upcoming trip, so you can drop that extra baggage weight. Passengers can borrow outfits based on size, season and color. It’s estimated that For every 10 kg of weight cut on a luggage from a flight between New York and Tokyo, carbon emissions can be reduced by 7.5 kg! Plus, there’s also lesser consumption of fuel, this initiative helps create environmental benefits from travelers, as well as, the airline itself.

A photo sourced from https://anywearanywhere.store/

What exactly is this about?

Sustainable tourism is much needed in today’s world, defining it simply, sustainable tourism refers to travelling while leaving minimal impact on the environment and increasing socioeconomic benefits for local communities in the destinations. With Japan Airlines along with Sunmito Corporation taking up this initiative, they have engaged with this phenomenon by reducing the carbon emissions that the aviation industry is mostly responsible for.

Uncovering the reasons behind this decision:

Getting into the depth of this, Japan Airlines aims to cut the airline’s carbon emissions by reducing the cargo weight owing to baggage, the main reasons being the increased number of travelers post COVID 19 directly leading to increased baggage and also a recent emphasis on sustainability. Furthermore, Japan may want to expand their share in the tourism industry by increasing more economic activity within the country which is why this rental service can add to the local options available for tourists ranging from accommodations, transport, food and clothing, this is supported by a recent claim by the airline, “Most travellers now enjoy eating at restaurants and staying at hotels at their destination, but they generally bring their clothing from home.”

From Hotelier India

Taking the plan into action:

Although the goals outlined provide value to why this initiative has begun, JAL plans to run the service on a trial basis from July 15th 2023 to August 24th,2023. JAL has partnered with Sunmito Corporation and each will perform their individual roles, with the latter being responsible for developing the reservation system along with the procurement, laundering and delivery of clothes, and JAL’s role to monitor the changes in the weight of passenger check-in bags along with the reduction effect of carbon dioxide emissions due to the reduced airplane weight.. the original concept of the service was to provide clothing rentals at the destination, thereby creating environmental value.

Travelers wishing to visit Japan will have to follow a simple procedure: buy a flight ticket, be redirected to the site with the system in place, select clothing fit for the season and make a payment. Later, individuals can collect their clothing at the hotel they are staying at and sport the outfit for up to 2 weeks before handing it back. However, there is an interesting aspect to this, all the clothing sourced are second hand pieces varying between different brands. Earlier this year, JAL VISION 2030 had come into place and to meet it’s environmental goals, the items will be “ obtained from excess stock of apparel and pre-owned clothing, thereby promoting the concept of a circular economy”, this can help prevent the tons of clothes ending up in landfills, specially, from fast fashion brands, such as Shein which adds roughly 1,000 new styles daily. This pace and volume lead to an enormous amount of overstock that eventually becomes harmful textile waste.

From the ‘Any wear,Any where’ store’s website.

What can you benefit from this?

Normally, a pair of Levi jeans costs around 5475 Yen (AED 138) in Japan, yet a basic rental set offered by JAL’s rental service costs 4000 yen (AED 104) for three tops and two bottoms. Obviously, taking into account that they are second hand pieces, but the costs of distribution, laundering, procurement are also relevant and to mention, that it can also be a much cheaper option for travelers. Additionally, this allows for more greener fashion trends to resurface and allow for more environmentally conscious choices for consumers.

From iStock.

A fresh take on sustainable tourism?

The original concept of the service is to offer clothing rentals at the destination. Strategically speaking, it’s a wise business move by JAL to test this concept within their target market – passengers traveling to Japan. However, the true value of its benefits must be the central focus. In light of the increasing number of commercial airlines taking flight each year and emitting harmful gases into the environment, JAL's initiative may just help prevent this. A study by Nature Climate Change highlights how tourism contributes to 8% of global greenhouse emissions.

Furthermore, this innovative approach accomplishes two goals simultaneously. By repurposing overstocked clothing items that would otherwise end up in landfills, it contributes to a cleaner environment. This dual-purpose strategy not only aligns with environmental goals of the companies but also much bigger nations which meet to decide environmental visions and policies to emit emissions of carbon and other non renewable resources. This idea has been brought before where In 2021, Rent the Runway partnered with TripAdvisor Plus for a closet concierge program in which members could request designer clothing be delivered to them. This confirms further the fact that more airlines such as JAL itself has jumped on this bandwagon to modify the industry in a way that resonates with green and futuristic modules of commercial ventures.

Bibliography:

1. Japan airlines introduces "Any Wear, Anywhere" clothes rental service to cut down carbon emissions - “ For every 10 kg of weight cut on a luggage from a flight between New York and Tokyo, carbon emissions can be reduced by 7.5 kg!”

2. Japan Airlines Launches 'Any Wear, Anywhere' Clothes Sharing Service | TravelPulse -“being responsible for developing the reservation system along with the procurement, laundering and delivery of clothes, and JAL’s role to monitor the changes in the weight of passenger check-in bags along with the reduction effect of carbon dioxide emissions due to the reduced airplane weight..”

3. Japan airlines introduces "Any Wear, Anywhere" clothes rental service to cut down carbon emissions - “Most travelers now enjoy eating at restaurants and staying at hotels at their destination, but they generally bring their clothing from home.”

4. Japan airlines introduces "Any Wear, Anywhere" clothes rental service to cut down carbon emissions -.. “the original concept of the service was to provide clothing rentals at the destination, thereby creating environmental value.”

5. This Airline Will Rent Clothes to Passengers on Overseas Flights — Here’s Why - “ obtained from excess stock of apparel and pre-owned clothing, thereby promoting the concept of a circular economy”,

6. From Design to Landfill: the Lifecycle of Your $3 Shein Shirt | Stacker-“Shein which adds roughly 1,000 new styles daily. This pace and volume lead to an enormous amount of overstock that eventually becomes harmful textile waste.”

7. Cost of Living in Japan -a pair of Levi jeans costs around 5475 Yen (AED 138) in Japan,

8. Japan airlines introduces "Any Wear, Anywhere" clothes rental service to cut down carbon emissions - “a basic rental set offered by JAL’s rental service costs 4000 yen (AED 104) for three tops and two bottoms.”

9. What is sustainable tourism and why is it important? - FutureLearn- “A study by Nature Climate Change highlights how tourism contributes to 8% of global greenhouse emissions.”

10. This Airline Will Rent Clothes to Passengers on Overseas Flights — Here’s Why- In 2021, Rent the Runway partnered with TripAdvisor Plus for a closet concierge program in which members could request designer clothing be delivered to them.