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Vacation packing can be a daunting and stressful task, and bursting-at-the-seams baggage can weigh heavily on the planet when you fly. But what if you didn’t have to bother?
Japan Airlines has decided to try renting clothes to its passengers in the aim of reducing the environmental impact of its flights by streamlining luggage.
This new service requires you to pack only the bare essentials, slipping a toothbrush and toothpaste into your carry-on case. For the rest, you can dress using a clothing rental service: a capsule wardrobe you can select and use for two weeks.
Passengers simply log on to the “Any Wear, Anywhere” service website to select the kind of clothes they need – casual, chic, or a mix of the two. You can choose up to six tops and three bottoms, specifying the season in which you’ll be traveling. That way, you can be sure to get clothes that suit the weather.
Prices start at 4,000 yen (approximately RM130) for a men’s summer pack comprising three tops and two bottoms. Sizes range from S to double L, and packs can be reserved up to one month in advance.
Once the rental has been confirmed, the service delivers the clothes to the passenger’s hotel or other accommodation. And it’s from there that the package of clothes should be returned before departure. Then, the pants, dresses or shorts will be sent to a laundry service in order to be reintroduced into the rental system.
Note that the garments used in this process are not new products; rather, they are pieces obtained from surplus stock or pre-owned garments, Japan Airlines explained in a news release. The idea is to create a truly circular economy.
Japan’s national airline has launched a trial of the service, with the aim of reducing the fuel use and carbon output of air travel. According to Sumitomi, its partner in charge of the logistics of the service, a tourist who travels with 10kg less baggage can reduce the carbon emissions of their trip by 7.5kg.
This initiative is part of a test phase scheduled to run until Aug 31 next year. Throughout this period, the airline will be collecting data on the baggage weights of its passengers who have chosen the clothing rental service, enabling it to assess the scale of the reduction in CO2 emissions.
This initiative is all the more significant given that Japan has seen a boom in tourist numbers since the complete reopening of its borders following the pandemic. According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, international arrivals totalled 1.9 million in May, almost 70% of pre-pandemic levels.
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