The Drive for Change – Inside Vinted's Sustainability Strategy With Isabel
At Vinted, sustainability isn't just a goal; it inspires all that we do. Our mission to make second-hand the first choice is the drive behind our daily work – thanks to dedicated people like Isabel Oliveira e Silva de Queiroz Nazare, our Senior Sustainability Manager. With a passion for the environment and second-hand fashion, Isabel helps us define our climate goals and their results, partnering with major players and working on projects that have real impact. Read on to discover how Isabel’s role reflects Vinted’s commitment to meaningful climate action and why she believes second-hand fashion can drive change in the industry.
Meet Isabel
My name is Isabel, and I am a Senior Sustainability Manager at Vinted. In my role, I help measure, understand and communicate the impact of buying second-hand over new. One of the most visible examples of this work is our Impact Report, where we collaborated with our research team, copywriters and designers to communicate the impact of the Vinted marketplace. By understanding the impact of buying second-hand, people can make more informed choices when purchasing their clothes and lifestyle items.
Turning passion into purpose
One of the aspects of sustainability I'm most passionate about is second-hand fashion and the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Since watching a video on this subject over 10 years ago, I've been very passionate about second-hand fashion and how it can be a tool for reducing the industry's environmental footprint. This fits perfectly with Vinted's mission to make second-hand the first choice, so in this case, my work and personal interests are perfectly aligned.
Collaborating for a better future
Last year, one of my favourite sustainability initiatives was our collaboration with the UK charity Oxfam. We partnered with them to create a second-hand fashion show during London Fashion Week.
The challenge to keep things simple
One of the biggest challenges when working on sustainability initiatives is that some of the language and science behind what we do can seem complex and inaccessible. When we talk about the impact of buying second-hand over new, we often face words that sound more suited to scientific journals than everyday communication for our customers. However, when you take the time to explore and explain these concepts, they are much simpler than they might seem at first glance.
Learning for lasting change
I think one of the keys to innovating and advancing our sustainability mission is ensuring everyone at Vinted is on board and understands our environmental impact and what it means. To do this, we've started offering Climate Fresk workshops across our offices, where everyone can learn the basics of climate change science and how it relates to Vinted.
How we measure our success
We measure the success of Vinted’s sustainability efforts in a few ways:
- This year, we created an action plan to cut emissions in line with climate science. We track our progress against those targets to measure our success.
- We include our Annual Corporate Carbon Footprint in our financial reporting to provide a transparent view of our impact.
- We are continuously measuring the effect of our mission – making second-hand the first choice – by tracking the emissions avoided by members who buy second-hand on our platform (instead of new items).
Making sustainability a priority
We ensure that sustainability is a priority for the company by having a solid Climate Action plan which defines our goals for reducing our carbon footprint. For our members, we continue to make second-hand easy and affordable, so they are encouraged to choose second-hand over new.
Fostering a sustainable culture
Vinted fosters a culture of sustainability across different teams by enabling them to take action to reduce our carbon footprint or amplify our positive impact. In sustainability, we don't work as enforcers but as business partners for the rest of the company – we advise and support other departments to help them achieve Vinted's sustainability goals.
Looking ahead
My hope for Vinted's future sustainability initiatives is that they originate from everywhere in the business – that everyone has the knowledge, confidence, and support to come up with innovative solutions that will amplify our goals.
Advice for aspiring Sustainability professionals
Don't be afraid to get involved in sustainability, even if that's not what you've studied or worked on before. Sustainability can be tackled from different angles: data, research, operations, or even marketing. To get involved, you don't necessarily need to have studied climate science – think about how you can use your existing skills to support environmental goals.
Making an impact
Working on sustainability has made me even more aware of the importance of buying second-hand instead of new and the impact our personal choices can have on the planet.
The most exciting part of working at Vinted for someone passionate about sustainability is that you don't have to work in sustainability to have an impact. Everyone who works at Vinted has the opportunity to contribute to our mission of making second-hand first choice. This means that you can have a real impact on the fashion industry, no matter your team or role.
Ready to make your mark?
If you're passionate about sustainability and want to contribute to a growing company that's serious about making a difference, Vinted is the place for you. We're always looking for people who want to help drive our mission forward and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Learn more about our open positions and apply today.