OUR SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
As the world’s population increases exponentially, resources are being consumed at a faster rate, and the rate of waste produced is growing. We are seeing sustainability being at the forefront of people’s minds. It is imperative that we, as a supplier, align our core values and strive to become more sustainable, not just for our customers, but also for the good of the planet.
Legend has always placed a big importance on quality and believe that a quality product that can be used repeatedly is better than a cheap single use product, which is discarded after little use. We see customers spending more on quality items and purchasing less frequently, therefore creating less waste and using less resources. For example, Stormtech product has a 3-year warranty against any defects. At the end of a products life we encourage customers to donate them or, if they are “worn out”, to put them into their nearest clothing bin so the materials can be reused. Product life can often be extended too – for example water resistance can be refreshed with a simple spray.
Additionally, we have been adding more products made from eco-friendly materials to our range. It is important to us that we use materials that have been recycled, or are from easily renewable resources, like calico, jute, hemp and canvas.
Ply bagging each item is a particular bug-bear for our industry. Many products come from China and travel over the equator to reach New Zealand, there is significant moisture build up and the products will get mouldy. Products must be in poly bags with moisture removing sachets. Where possible, we are switching to one poly bag per carton, instead of individually, to reduce the amount of plastic waste. We are currently reviewing biodegradable (with one year) poly bags and hope to introduce them in the near future.
To help reduce emissions we have re-located to one of our preferred decorators. So, the goods only must travel next door (literally) to be embellished.
Some of our steps are only small, but we believe they all help. Two examples are; reducing the size/pages of our paper-catalogue (saving paper) and moving next door to Auckland’s largest decorator (saving fuel).