Is renting actually eco?!

Is renting actually eco?!

This week our accelerator course was all about impact and sustainability and how we can convey our impact to our customers. I love getting into the detail so straight away was thinking how I can prove that renting is much more sustainable. But then I went down a rabbit hole and started panicking. 

Unfortunately there are no studies out there that look at baby clothes rental. Studies generally focus on rental models like Rent the Runway where designer outfits are rented for a one-off short period of time then dry cleaned. In cases like this the eco-credentials are shaky. The fact that baby clothes are rented for a longer period of time, worn many times, and wet washed, makes a huge difference, but there is no published graph to show this! Another option is to get a company to perform a Life Cycle Assessment to calculate how much carbon/water etc Borro produces and thus show how sustainable the service is. However this is expensive and also requires me to have enough data for them to base it on! 

Then you've got to consider that the eco-credentials of a service obviously depend a lot on how it is used. Renting will not be sustainable if customers use it in addition to everything they already buy, just to have more baby clothes. So how do I deal with that? You can see why I panicked!  

As with a lot of sustainability issues, things become more complex the more you look at them. Luckily I like the detail so I'm committed to looking into this and coming up with some facts and figures that prove that Borro is a sustainable service. Watch this space!

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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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