Japan’s Uniqlo highlights sustainability at Shanghai trade expo, but not all visitors buy into the idea of green living
- While sustainability seems to be the predominant theme at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, not everyone is on board with the idea of green living
- The concept of sustainable living to take hold at the consumer level will be a long and gradual process, founder of impact investing advisory firm says
Sustainability seems to be the predominant theme at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, with companies taking part echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.
But for some visitors sustainability does not play an important role in their product purchases.
Multinational corporations such as Uniqlo, McDonald’s, Thyssenkrupp and Siemens have made sustainable living and green products a key focus at this year’s expo.
The Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo has attracted a lot of attention from visitors who stop to appreciate the brand’s sustainability-themed 1,000 square metre booth divided into three zones – technology, fashion and quality – and take pictures with its sustainability ambassador, the Japanese cartoon character Doraemon.
Uniqlo showcased its latest fleece collection with fabric made from 100 per cent recycled polyester sourced from plastic bottles, alongside its BlueCycle jeans collection that uses 95 per cent less water to produce. It has also set up a 2.5-metre tall installation of its signature thermal wear, which according to the company, can help “counter energy shortage” and sold one every second in China last winter.
