Not sure what clothes to bring for a vacation in Japan? If you're flying with Japan Airlines, this might mean you don't need to bring anything at all!
The Japanese airline has begun a one-year trial of a service that allows travelers to reserve a set of clothes and receive them at the hotel upon arrival.
At the end of their stay, the clothes are returned to be washed and reused in the system.
The service, called “Any Wear, Anywhere,” will continue until the end of August 2024.
Japan Airlines reported that it can reduce carbon emissions by reducing the weight carried by its planes.
Any Wear, Anywhere estimates that reducing baggage by 10 kilograms is equivalent to reducing emissions by 7.5 kilograms.
The inventor of the idea, Miho Moriya, said: “I love traveling, and I have visited many foreign countries, but I have always been afraid of dragging luggage behind me, or washing clothes outside.”
“When traveling, the three most important things to me include accommodation, food, and clothing,” added Moriya, who runs Any Wear, Anywhere for Sumitomo, the Japanese company that handles reservations, delivery, and laundry operations. "There are hotels and restaurants there to provide accommodation and food on site, but not clothing. Why do we have to bring our own clothes from home?"
Moriah presented this idea through an entrepreneurship challenge within her company, and explained that once it was approved after delays resulting from the Corona pandemic, it took “many attempts” to find an airline willing to support it.
Service users log in to the site to click on a number of options, ranging from women’s or men’s clothing, the season, the type of look, whether formal or informal, the number of pieces required, and the dates of receipt and return.
Their selections will be waiting for them at the hotel, and service rates range from $34 to $48 for the entire rental period.
The service has been in effect since the beginning of July, and Moriah noted that the feedback has been very positive.
“We have orders from all over the world, from more than 115 countries in total, even though we do not do any kind of promotion,” she said.
The true impact of the trial will only be revealed eventually, once Japan Airlines measures the weight savings and calculates the exact level of emissions reduction.
Weight reduction is a proven way to save fuel and reduce emissions, and has been considered by aircraft manufacturers and airlines for a long time.
This is embodied, for example, by designing lighter seats for passengers, or replacing heavy paper brochures with tablets.
Small changes can have a big impact.
When Australian Qantas Airlines redesigned its cutlery for first and business class passengers to be only 11% lighter, the company said it began saving 535 metric tons of fuel annually.
However, Japan Airlines should see a statistically significant reduction in baggage weight, said aviation analyst at AviationValues, a consultancy, Gary Crichlow.
Once this is proven, the challenge will be to ensure that the weight reduction actually results in lower fuel consumption.
Sustainable fashion expert, Nina Jabbour, believes that the project represents a positive step, and explained: “A lot of times, people buy new clothes just for their vacations and business trips. Therefore, this service reduces the waste of unnecessary clothes and the virgin resources used in making new clothes.” “It also takes advantage of excess inventory and used clothing that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration.”