The 92nd edition of the Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags exhibition opened with a clear focus on sustainability, with a talk entitled "The Sustainability of the Fashion System Supply Chain" kicking off proceedings.
"Today, sustainability is a real opportunity to protect the planet, but it is also an indispensable tool for being competitive at an international level," said Giovanni Laezza, head of Riva Del Gardi Fierecongressi. "In response to this market need, we are working together with our stakeholders to build a social ethic that, during the next editions of Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags, will lead us to consciously trace and manage all the waste produced during the event - aiming at having at least 85% of it recycled by 2020."
A recent study by McKinsey & Company in collaboration with the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, entitled "Sustainability matters, but does it sell?", found that 70 per cent of consumers were willing to choose an eco-sustainable product instead of one with a greater environmental impact, spending 5 or 10 per cent more.
"Fashion is capable of intercepting changes and Gardabags, the Expo Riva Schuh project dedicated to bags and accessories, is a clear example," said Carla Costa, head of the Exhibition Area at Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. "In fact, almost all of the exhibitors are attentive to the subject, and this becomes even more significant when one considers that 39 per cent of them come from outside Europe and from countries where the subject has only just begun to be dealt with”.
