The RealReal Launches Sustainability Calculator on National Consignment Day

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The RealReal, the leading luxury consignment company, announced the launch of its Sustainability Calculator for consignment in acknowledgment of National Consignment Day on Oct. 1, 2018. The objective of the calculator was to create a sound, science-based, tool to quantify the positive impact of consignment on the planet.  This first generation calculator focused solely on women's apparel.  The initial calculation measured the impact of 2.5 million women's clothing items consigned to The RealReal. The results showed the company has offset 65 million car miles in greenhouse gases and energy since 2012.  

"Consigning is good for the environment, and I am thrilled we have developed a valid and quantifiable way for our customers to measure the positive impact their consignment has on the planet. It takes my breath away that people consigning apparel alone have made such a tremendous impact — the equivalent of 340,000 trees planted," states Founder Julie Wainwright.

The RealReal worked with the Portland, Oregon-based sustainability consultancy Shift Advantage to develop the methodology quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG), energy and water* saved from women's clothing items consigned. Experts from World Resource Institute (WRI) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and sustainability expert, Michael Sadowski reviewed and provided feedback on the methodology.

**The Methodology: 

These four areas were taken into consideration to assess the overall environmental benefits of recirculating/consigning apparel:

• Impact by Material: Energy, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and water consumption were estimated based on global averages for each material type. The RealReal does not own the manufacturing process of its goods.
• Item Archetypes: The most common women's clothing types were used to develop four archetypes for calculation: dresses, tops, jackets and knitwear.
• Fabric Composites: The RealReal defragmented the inventory mix into the most common item-fabric combinations (i.e. silk, cotton, polyester, viscose, wool and linen).
• Product Type Composites: Since every item consigned is unique, The RealReal used sample weights to develop average weight measures for each archetype fabrication group.

For more information on the sustainability calculator and how to participate in National Consignment Day, visit: therealreal.com/ncd2018 

*The base fabric assumptions and measurements for energy, GHG and water used to produce each garment were developed by and are intellectual property of Shift Advantage, a corporate social responsibility and sustainability consulting firm.

**The RealReal undertook this endeavor to quantify the environmental savings (greenhouse gases, energy & water) from women's dresses, tops, knitwear and jackets processed through the consignment platform instead of produced for the first time by a brand or retailer, since the founding of The RealReal. As The RealReal does not own the production supply chain for items sold, it does not have access to actual fabrics, dyes, weaves and production techniques used. Furthermore, the breadth and diversity of items — spanning type, brand, fabric and size — required averages and assumptions around required greenhouse gases, energy and water usage per item. The RealReal chose to apply the industry-accepted displacement rate of 30%, meaning it incorporated the assumption that for every item purchased on The RealReal, 1/3 of an item is not created new.

The RealReal contracted with Shift Advantage, Inc., a sustainability consultancy, to develop our calculator to estimate the environmental impact of The RealReal's products. The methodology was reviewed by an esteemed group of sustainability experts. Their feedback was integrated into the final tool and methodology. The RealReal would like to provide a special thank you to these experts for providing their time and expertise:
-- Camille Gillet, Make Fashion Circular, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
-- Michael Sadowski, Sustainability Consultant
-- Eliot Metzger, Senior Associate at World Resources Institute (WRI)

About The RealReal
The RealReal is the leader in authenticated luxury consignment. With an expert behind every item, we ensure everything we sell is 100% real. We have 90+ in-house gemologists, horologists and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items available online each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by brands from Chanel to Cartier, and hundreds more, supporting the circular economy. We make consigning effortless with free in-home pickup, drop-off service and direct shipping. At our stores in SoHo NYC and Los Angeles, customers can shop and consign and meet with our experts to learn more about luxury authenticity and sustainability. In ten retail locations across the country, our expert staff provides free jewelry, watch and handbag valuations. Extend the life cycle of luxury items. Join the consignment movement.

Press Contact:
Christine Heerwagen
[email protected]

SOURCE The RealReal

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