Is renting actually eco-friendly?

Is renting actually eco-friendly?

The whole reason I started Borro was to give parents an easier, eco-friendly way to dress their babies. Initially I was pretty convinced that it had to be more sustainable to rent rather than just buy new, but one infamous research paper made headlines that it was 'better to bin your jeans than rent them'. So I wanted to make sure for myself that our particular model was helping, not harming, the planet, and set about to conduct a basic Life Cycle Assessment. 

It turns out that calculating the carbon footprint of anything is a complete minefield. The more you think about it and look into it, the more complicated it gets! Without a huge budget and a lot more data about how our customers actually use our service, we could never get a completely accurate picture. So we had to make some sensible assumptions. We did however find some great data online and you can see the full report of our Life Cycle Assessment here.

Our headline finding was that renting results in 49% fewer carbon dioxide equivalent emissions than buying new. On one hand this is great news - it is more eco-friendly! But on the other, it surprised me that it wasn't higher. The main factor which limits how eco-friendly it can be is the CO2 from the delivery. And how many deliveries and returns is currently up to the customer, as Borro allows you the flexibility to return items or order new at any time. It would be more eco-friendly to order a large number of items and keep them for as long as possible, but that might not always suit the customer! In fact, how the customer uses the service has a huge impact on how eco-friendly it is. For example:

  • How you wash the clothes has a huge impact - so you can make a big difference just by washing at 30 and line drying
  • Renting is only more eco-friendly if it means you reduce the amount of clothes you buy. If you're buying the same amount of items and renting in addition to those, then it's worse for the planet!
  • Delivery and returns also have a big impact on the CO2, so the more we can reduce these, the better

It seems that with many things, sustainability and ultimate convenience do not always go together. I'm torn between wanting to make the business as eco-friendly as possible, and wanting it to appeal to more than just the eco-warriors out there. There's the old quote that we don't need a few people doing it perfectly, we need everyone doing it imperfectly. So this is what I'm aiming for!

 

This is a long journey (hopefully!) and as we get more customers, we'll have more data to work with and then can assess how exactly we can improve the sustainability of the service and how we can encourage customers to use it in the most eco-friendly way.

I always want to be as open and honest about our impact on the environment, so feel free to email me with any questions on this at sarah@borro-it.com

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Questions?

Why Borro clothes?

Renting means less waste, more wardrobe flexibility and no more piles of outgrown clothes. It’s a smarter, more sustainable way to dress your little ones.

With Borro, you get high-quality kidswear without the commitment, just what you need, when you need it. Helping you save time, save money, and save the planet.

What about stains?

Don't panic! Let us worry about the stains. Stain insurance is included. Obviously it's best to prevent stains if you can, or treat them as soon as possible. But we will never charge you.

If the garment can't be saved, it will be upcycled or recycled. Nothing ever goes to landfill, and we'll never charge you.

Subscription & exchanges

Subscription

All the clothes are individually priced and there's no minimum amount or set subscription - we're flexible!

Rent as many/few things as you like and you'll see at checkout what your monthly subscription will be. (If you want us to pick out a coordinated bundle of 10 items for you, it's £29/month).

Exchanges

We know little ones grow as fast as the weather changes! You don't need to return your previous order to order new clothes, so simply send back items whenever you no longer have a need for them, and add any new items to your subscription, by adding them to your basket and checking out.

Delivery & returns

Delivery

Your order will be packed and dispatched the next working day. Delivery takes 2-3 working days.

Returns

Pop them inside the bag/box they came in, attach the free pre-paid returns label, then drop off at your nearest Evri ParcelShop.

We only include one pre-paid returns label per order, so if you choose to send just some of an order back and the rest later, you will need to pay for the postage of the second return. 

Once we've received your items we will amend your subscription so you only pay for what you've got.

We recommend returning items 4-5 days before your subscription renews in order to allow enough time for delivery and processing to avoid your next monthly payment going out. If you're a few days late, you can always cancel online (use the link in the order confirmation email). As long as we receive the clothes within the next few days, that's fine.

Sustainability

At Borro we maximise the use of each item of clothing by providing a service that ensures it's well maintained, repaired and enjoyed by as many families as possible.

So if a garment is used by 6 different users, the global warming potential is 49% less, with a CO2e (kg) per user of 1.18, instead of 2.29.

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