What is the basis of your sustainability approach, what were your initial steps?
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We are in a period where individual or corporate awareness about sustainability increases day by day and these issues are talked about more in our daily lives. As Vitruta, we have been thinking for a long time about what we can do better together with our stakeholders and what steps we should take in this regard. With the Covid-19 pandemic process, we have all witnessed the lifestyle change and adaptation process on a global scale. With the influence of this, we decided to focus on sustainability and implement the Vitruta Sustainability Program. Then, we started by creating a road map together with our expert sustainability consultants. First of all, we determined our focus goals from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) determined by the United Nations Development Programme. Our focus aims are; These are Accessible and Clean Energy (SDG-7), Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG-12) and Climate Action (SDG-13). You can review all the issues we have taken action on so far and our annual sustainability targets in detail on the Vitruta Sustainability Program page.
You state that your brands meet your Sustainable Brand Criteria and that you evaluate the brands accordingly. How much can I trust the answers you receive?
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We designed the Vitruta Sustainable Brand Criteria together with our expert sustainability consultants, targeting globally valid sustainability criteria and complying with this concept since we are a multi-brand store. We held meetings with brand officials within Vitruta within the scope of the Vitruta Sustainability Program and then directed our questions about the relevant brand criteria to our brands. After objectively evaluating all the answers that brands share with us transparently, we share the results with you.
Why aren't all your brands sustainable?
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As Vitruta, we have been operating in the fashion industry since 2017. As a result of these activities, it is obvious that our customer base, which grows every year, has certain expectations from us and the employment we create in return. For this reason, we know that putting everything aside and heading in one direction will bring about negative effects in the lives of many people who work for Vitruta. For this reason, our main goal is to do our best in a fair and ethical manner by keeping our environmental footprint as small as possible and increasing our social footprint with a realistic approach. We know that fashion can be handled differently and still remain impressive and fun. In this context, we will continuously improve our activities with our financial-social hybrid approach, adhering to the sustainable development goals we have determined.
Can't you bring more collections of sustainable products from the global brands you sell?
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We have started to include special products focused on Reuse or Recycle for our brands such as Eastpak, PUMA and adidas Originals, which have recently started to invest in sustainability. Since our orders are seasonal and the pre-order periods for 2021 have been completed, we are working on our orders for the next season, paying attention to this issue, in order to experience a clearer development in this regard starting from 2022.
What do you do to prevent carbon emissions during shipping processes?
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We constantly measure and try to keep our emissions under control. We place these procedures at the center of our supply and sales instructions. In addition, we will soon develop projects that will minimize our carbon footprint together with our expert sustainability consultants and will announce to our stakeholders the work that will set us as an exemplary brand in this regard.
Aren't you causing waste during the shipping of orders? Also, are all your packaging materials ecological? If not, do you have any plans regarding this issue?
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When shopping online, it is very important for customers to see a website where touches are made that will make them feel valued and happy, and to receive effective service. However, we know that it is equally important to encounter beautiful packaging at the end of your shopping. We also send our submissions to; that can be reused, such as an organizer, photo album, or file archive; We were making it with high quality and simple design Vitruta boxes. We knew that this was not enough for sustainable packaging, but we were striving to encourage reuse. However, over time, we started to remove some side materials from our packaging. As of this year, we have removed cellophane, a transparent and thin plastic coating that protects the box from water and other external factors, from all our packaging elements. We reuse all our usable boxes and parcels by not throwing them in the trash; When it becomes unusable, we send it for recycling. As our existing packaging materials run out, we improve our new productions with ecological solutions. For example, we stopped using plastic materials such as damage-preventing bubble wrap and air packaging pillows in the shipping of fragile products that require sensitive packaging, and switched to FSC certified sustainable protective materials. We constantly follow ecological alternatives in packaging and we promise to go further in this regard. You can review the details on the Vitruta Sustainability Program page.
How will prices be affected as the selection of sustainable brands/products increases?
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Pricing of our products is made by the Turkish offices, distributors or designers of the relevant brands. These prices are the same as all sales points in Turkey. For this reason, there will be no price change in the products we sell due to our sustainable brand and product selection.
What are your plans regarding sustainability in the coming period?
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We aim to engage in more frequent activities and organize various events with brands, individuals and institutions that focus on sustainability. You can review the details of our sustainability targets by year on the Vitruta Sustainability Program page.
Since sustainability is not limited to environmental awareness, are there any actions you take on issues such as gender equality and human rights?
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As Vitruta, we are aware of how important the Sustainable Development Goals determined by the United Nations Development Program are for a better future. Although our main focus within these goals is Accessible and Clean Energy (SDG-7), Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG-12) and Climate Action (SDG-13), we also try to take steps with the necessary responsibility on all other issues. As those who have been following us for a long time know, we organize store events, Instagram live broadcasts, Vitruta MAG articles and social media posts on topics such as Gender Equality, Health and Quality Life, and Reducing Inequalities. In addition to our three focus Sustainable Development Goals mentioned above, we will continue our work that will create such social impact.
Will you carry out projects focused on social benefit?
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We will carry out studies towards our focus goals from the Sustainable Development Goals determined by the United Nations Development Programme. Our focus goals are: Accessible and Clean Energy (SDG-7), Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG-12) and Climate Action (SDG-13). We will also continue to support domestic producers, artisans and women entrepreneurs. We will inform our customers about our suppliers' practices and encourage a culture of Creating Shared Value. We support TEMA to carry out afforestation works in various regions. Finally, during forest fires, which become a serious problem in our country, we turn our stores into aid collection points and deliver the aid to the areas in need.
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With the step you take with sustainability awareness, you will actually raise awareness of both your customers and the brands you work with. Will you have any work/activities that will further raise awareness among your audience on this issue?
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Our expert consultants provide sustainability training to all our teams and report to us periodically about the prominent developments in the world, in our country and in the fashion industry. We will work to increase our social footprint by sharing all these efforts with our stakeholders. We also aim to engage in more frequent activities and organize various events with brands, individuals and institutions that focus on sustainability.
How do you plan to maintain and improve sustainability impacts in the long term?
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In line with the goals we have set, we strive to increase the number of sustainable products in our product portfolio and the ratio of these products to our total products day by day. We will have established the Vitruta Sustainability Program on the right foundations with all our work until the end of 2023, which is our primary goal. In the following years, we will continue to build on this program, the foundations of which we have established on a solid basis in the first 3 years, and to work with the same discipline and continue our effective and permanent practices in our stores, offices and warehouses. We will undertake many additional projects that will include our stakeholders in this process.
Which institutions do you work with for the Vitruta Sustainability Program? Does Vitruta have any certificates and quality certificates?
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We work with BluProjects, the organization of Turkey's leading sustainability consultant and trainer Sinem Çelik, which provides sustainability strategies, roadmaps and circular business development consultancy for businesses and retailers. We also receive support for our projects, training and development from the expert sustainability consultants of Alalëa, a Social Innovation and Sustainable Development Consultancy company. In addition, we are in close communication with our sustainability-oriented brands, so we share what kind of improvements or collaborations we can mutually make in matters such as packaging and social impact studies. Regarding the certificate, we have applied for and received the certificate by switching to the use of completely renewable electrical energy sources in our stores, offices and warehouses. -We have REC (International Renewable Energy Certificate) certificate. We want to increase the number of such certificates as possible.
As a Vitruta customer; How can I be involved in this awareness other than purchasing sustainable products/brands?
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“Reading is the most important tool to engage with different stories.” With this in mind, you can take various steps to make your lifestyle more sustainable by frequently following the resources shared by us or other organizations on this subject. The more often you share the changes you have made and the information you have learned with your circle, the more you can expand your sphere of influence. You can make great contributions to nature by making small changes in your life. We recommend that you do not forget the "1 is greater than 0" approach in every small step you take. In addition, you can internalize the information you can obtain from our Vitruta Sustainable Shopping Suggestions and Vitruta Textile Materials Guide pages and put it into practice in daily life.
How will we track the steps you take towards your goals?
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As we experience new developments in sustainability, our primary goal will be to share them with you through our social media channels. We will also publish our annual activity reports, along with their sources and documents, on our website. You can review the details on our Vitruta Sustainability Program page.