With sustainability currently top of the agenda for many businesses, along with all the issues that need to be tackled with regards to climate change and future-proofing the planet for generations to come, travel retail display management company Concourse is working to drive positive change with its brand and retailer clients.
During Dutch Design Week 2019 on October 25, Concourse was present at the signing of a Memoranda of Understanding to formalize an alliance with ECOR and DSM-Niaga. This marks an official partnership under which Concourse will now be introducing Niaga ECOR circular panels as a sustainable material in the design and implementation process of brand activation and store builds in the Global Travel Retail industry.
This innovative and sustainable material, which uses cellulose fiber waste in its production, has been developed to replace the use of non-recyclable materials such as MDF.
Chris Morriss
Using products such as Niaga ECOR helps to reduce unwanted and often toxic materials ending up in landfill, plus it also encourages a switch towards a circular economy, a concept that Concourse’s Managing Director, Chris Morriss, believes is key to achieving sustainability in our industry moving forward.
Concourse first introduced the Niaga ECOR panels to the travel retail industry at TFWA Cannes where it was featured in the Innovation Lab. Morriss also discussed it during his presentation at the Innovation in Action Work-shop in Cannes.
“It’s a move that we’re very excited about and determined to achieve in Travel Retail, and we really believe it will result in a true paradigm shift for the industry,” Jess Howells, Concourse group marketing manager, tells TMI.
This latest step by Concourse highlights their commitment to put the need for sustainability at the forefront of the design and implementation process, and follows on from other sustainable initiatives already introduced by the company.
For nearly a decade, they have encouraged their clients to work with their Triple R Strategy (Re-design, Re-dress, Re-use) for existing display assets and they have also committed to recycle or reuse 40% of all retail fixtures by 2022.
In May this year, Concourse also launched ReStore – a sustainable CSR-led initiative developed to focus on reducing the amount of retail furniture, fixtures and merchandising that end up in landfill sites.
This initiative identifies projects and charities that can benefit from Travel Retail’s unwanted retail displays and provides a dedicated service to collect, repurpose and recycle old materials into new and worthwhile pieces of furniture that can meet other charities’ needs.
