In the United Kingdom, storied retailer Woolworths has created biodegradable mannequins made from fiber glass and jute fiber repurposed from used coffee bean sacks.
The company tells CapeTalk that it has invested heavily in the “eco” mannequins, which come in a range of body types and have been used in displays at 80 “Woolies” in South Africa. “We are delighted to be the first large retailer in South Africa to make such a significant investment in [eco-mannequins], and going forward, we will continue to add more into our stores,” Tracey Lotter, Woolworths’s Head of Visual Merchandising tells the South African news outlet.
Feroz Koor, Woolworths’ Group Head of Sustainability also noted that the material is not only a plant fiber, but extra eco-friendly because it is a waste product. “It starts out as a sack carrying coffee beans, and once it’s gone through that life, it’s now a waste product of that process. The sacks are collected, processed, cut into strips and then put into a mold with some bio-resin which is itself a plant-based product and then made into these mannequins,” Koor added.