Datitude and its client QSA Partners are thrilled to have been Highly Commended for Sustainable Retail Innovation at this year's RTIH (Retail Technology Innovation Hub) Innovation Awards.
With a record number of submissions across all categories and many not making it through to the shortlist, being a 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards finalist in the first place was no feat. Picking up the "highly commended" award in the Sustainable Retail Innovation category was the cherry on top!
This recognition is for the ground-breaking EPR (extended producer responsibility) Sandbox project.
Across the fashion industry, there’s strong support for a fair, balanced and workable EPR; one that drives systemic change, beyond recycling and waste collection and management to more circular design.
The unanswered question has been “Can EPR for textiles using eco-modulation work”. Can a variable fee be calculated that is in proportion to a product’s impact using circularity metrics like product durability, ease of repair, and suitability for better recycling processes?
That is what the EPR Sandbox Project set out to establish and it has proved it can! It's the first of its kind, representing a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable fashion future.
The brainchild of QSA Partners, the project brought together major brands/retailers, industry trade organisations, and academic experts to address data challenges and explore the feasibility of eco-modulation. Six major brands, Burberry, John Smedley, M&S, New Look, a global sportswear brand and a leading online resale platform, participated in the pilot.
Data challenges were overcome using modern technology and data architecture principles to integrate and unify data alongside sophisticated data modelling techniques. Not only that, the pilot demonstrates an intelligent, variable fee for EPR in fashion and textiles can deliver better circular economy outcomes.
Commenting on this recognition at the awards night, Gerrard Fisher, Partner - Circular Business at QSA Partners and Co-founder of WEFT said:
"It's excellent to get this recognition! There were lots of large enterprises shortlisted so I’m over the moon that we got highly commended. The project has already had a huge impact on how the the sector thinks about EPR and the way an intelligent, data-led approach can be used to incentivise sustainable change."
Sarah Hughes, Datitude Co-founder and Director, added:
"We're thrilled to be highly commended at the RTIH Innovation Awards. It's a testament to how ground-breaking this project is and what can be achieved with innovative technology and intelligent data. It also reinforces Datitude's expertise as data specialists. A heartfelt thank you to Gerrard and Kristina (Bull) from QSA Partners and WEFT for trusting us as the project's data partner, and the award judges for acknowledging the impact of our work."
Following the pilot project's success, a new independent company WEFT has been set up by QSA Partners to manage the sandbox system. WEFT will focus on improving data robustness, developing open standard formats for data input, and exploring the application of this approach to other markets, including the EU and USA. If you'd like to find out more and get involved, email Gerrard Fisher or Kristina Bull at WEFT: hello@weft.org.uk.
These photos from the awards night are courtesy of Liz Isles Photography.
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