Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corporation Launch Trial of Clothing Sharing Service for Sustainable Travel

Aiming to provide travel experiences involving less luggage and visualize environmental value

Tokyo, Japan, 2023-Jul-05 — /Travel PR News/ — Japan Airlines (JAL ) and Sumitomo Corporation will launch a trial of the “Any Wear, Anywhere” clothing sharing service (“the Service”) for foreign tourists and business travelers to Japan who use JAL-operated flights and will measure the environmental value of using the Service.

With more and more people flying again after the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the recent emphasis in sustainability, there is a growing movement around the world to promote sustainable tourism. Travelers increasingly desire to make more sustainable choices regarding their travel destinations, accommodations, transportation etc., they still lack sufficient options. For example, most travelers now enjoy eating at restaurants and staying at hotels at their destination, but they generally bring their own clothing from home.

The concept of the Service is therefore to provide a travel experience with minimal luggage by offering clothing rentals at the destination, thereby creating environmental value. By expanding the use of the Service, we aim to create an environment where travelers can use local options for all aspects of their clothing, food, and accommodation, transforming travel and business trips into more sustainable experiences. In providing the Service, Sumitomo Corporation will be responsible for developing the reservation system as well as for the procurement, laundering, and delivery of clothes. All clothing items available for rent will be obtained from excess stock of apparel and pre-owned clothing, thereby promoting the concept of a circular economy. JAL will monitor changes in passengers’ checked-in baggage weight and verify the reduction effect of carbon dioxide emissions by reduced airplane weight due to use of the Service.

Outline of the Trial
Trial period:
July 5, 2023, to August 31, 2024 (scheduled)

How to use:
1. Visit the “Any Wear, Anywhere” reservation site:
Anywearanywhere.store
2. Go to the Reservation page and select the clothing set that best suits the season and purpose of your visit to Japan.
3. Enter your JAL flight booking number, the date of pickup and return of the clothing set, and information about the destination where you wish to pick up the clothing set, and make a payment.
(Note: Reservations must be made at least one month in advance. In principle, the return date must be within two weeks of the pickup date.)
4. Board a JAL-operated flight with less baggage.
5. Pick up and return the reserved clothing set at your hotel.

Under “JAL Vision 2030,” which targets the year 2030, the JAL Group is working to create a “safe and secure society” and a “sustainable future” with ESG as the core of its management strategy. The JAL Group’s ESG strategy is to “solving social issues and create sustainable flows of people, and sales and distribution channels.” We believe that the Service can be one component of this ESG strategy. Leveraging the strengths of an airline company, JAL Group will continue to sustainably generate demand, realizing a vibrant society and future where people and various goods freely interact.

By considering social issues and technological developments, Sumitomo Corporation is working to develop businesses in the “Beyond Mobility” domain (mobility and cross-industry collaboration), which is expected to become a pillar of next-generation earnings from a medium- to long- term perspective. The idea for the Service was born from the “0 → 1 Challenge,” an in-house entrepreneurship program. Sumitomo Corporation will promote company-wide reform of its business model and create new value by leveraging the individuality and creativity of each employee while responding to significant changes occurring in the world.

Starting with this trial, both companies will continue to explore joint efforts that meet customer needs and generate environmental value.

[Collaborative partners in the trial］

■WEFABRIK Inc.
WEFABRIK was started in 2005 by former textile trader employee Mr. Fukuya, who wanted to make fashion more enjoyable and sustainable by confronting the massive waste that is causing serious environmental problems around the world. With a mission to solve the problem of “fashion loss,” in which a global total of more than 20 billion garments are thrown away each year, the company operates an online apparel matching platform called “SMASELL.” For this trial, WEFABRIK is cooperat ing for the procurement of clothes available for rental through the “Any Wear, Anywhere” service.

■Hakuyosha
Hakuyosha has been contributing to the development of the cleaning industry in Japan as a leading company ever since it introduced Japan’s first independently developed dry cleaning service in 1906, the year after its founding. In 2018, it won the “Sustainability Grand Prize” at the Global Best Practices Awards held in Milan, Italy in recognition of its commitment to providing high-quality services while also considering the environment, such as by conducting independent wastewater analysis at its own research institute, the Laundry Science Laboratory, and promoting the use of solvents with low environmental impact. For this trial, Hakuyosha is cooperating in the laundering and cleaning of clothes available for rental through the “Any Wear, Anywhere” service.

Media Contact: 

mediarelations.hdq@jal.com

Source: Japan Airlines

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