Why Flying Tiger Copenhagen refuses to use the word ‘sustainable’
MANILA, Philippines — Danish retailer Flying Tiger Copenhagen recently unveiled its eco-conscious collection in Makati City to give shoppers more green options for holiday gifting.
In an interview with Philstar.com, Philippines team Marketing Manager Billi Esguerra-Perez explained why the brand uses “eco-conscious” instead of the overused term “sustainable” in describing its earth-friendly omnibus.
“Let's spell the difference because sustainable, we can't really be 100% sustainable,” she said. “It's something hard to achieve if you try to see the real definition of what is sustainable, what ‘sustainable’ means. So what we have really are eco-conscious and planet-friendly products. But our goal is to be the leader when it comes to sustainable retail for now.”
According to her, the company is targeting to be 50% plastic-free in its product lines by 2025.
“Actually, we're almost there,” she declared, noting that their eco-conscious products made of planet-friendly materials like bamboo span across 14 categories, from their core to seasonal items, and soon, will also include food, which will also be hitting stores soon.
“I think that our customers are very happy,” she said of people's reception to the eco-friendly products.
Since opening its first store in 1986, the brand now boasts of over 1,000 stores across 36 countries. In the Philippines, it is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists Inc., with stores in Glorietta 4, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood City Mall, SM North Edsa, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Sta Mesa, and Bonifacio High Street.
According to the brand, among its secrets for longevity is being “a socially responsible retailer” by implementing systems to minimize its environmental footprint. To date, it has proudly removed 47% of plastic from its packaging and has reduced overall emissions by 26%.
Looking toward the long-term, the brand has significantly reduced plastic consumption by removing more than 1/3 of single-use products from its offerings (37%) and using 19% less plastic in its products.
In designing and producing its items, the label has found ways to use alternative materials like wood and metal instead of plastic, and has opted for recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic. Currently, 96% of its wood and paper products are FSC-certified–a mark from Forest Stewardship Council indicating that the products come from responsibly managed forests, and 96% of its packaging is recyclable.
“Since 2019, Flying Tiger Copenhagen’s entire value chain has undergone an ambitious green transition to become a lot more sustainable. We will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by around 30% by 2026 and cut the consumption of plastic in our products in half by 2025. We also want to drive the shift away from single-use products by removing half of all single-use products in our assortment by 2025,” Chief Executive Officer Martin Jermiin shared in a statement.
“We are going all-in on sustainability. We want to be the frontrunners in the green transition of the retail industry and do our part to pass on a better globe to future generations.”
