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Yasmin Ahmed
The waste emanating from unsold inventory, damaged items, and returned goods is gigantic. Dead inventory can account for up to 30% of a company's stock. The problem is persistent across industries: a 2022 report published by materials science company Avery Dennison found that USD 163 billion worth of inventory is discarded annually due to overproduction or expiry. An undercover ITV News investigation in 2021 revealed that each week, one of 24 Amazon fulfilment centres in the UK destroys more than 124,000 items of unsold stock, including Dyson fans and MacBooks.
Adopting a made-to-order approach directly challenges this waste-by-design problem, systematically reconfiguring the way society reads supply and demand. Put simply, products are only manufactured once an order is placed, rather than dispatching universal goods from a pre-made, mass-produced inventory. They are tailor-made according to inch-perfect dimensions and desired attributes to meet the exact needs of the client, with a guaranteed buyer lined up. Working backwards, sales are guaranteed, costs are slashed, and materials are used with purpose, no longer relying on projected sales and cheap materials.
And there are further perks. A zero-inventory model promotes size inclusivity, brand loyalty, and localised production. It directly disrupts the fast pace of mass production, putting the onus back on slow, considered, and ethical practices across supply chains. Consumers are seen as participants rather than impulsive buyers, and it challenges the mindset of disposability. Find out how five brands are embracing this approach to deliver tailor-made products.
of the EU's total GHGs is due to textile waste
worth of inventory is discarded annually due to overproduction or expiry
Dead inventory can account for up to 30% of a company's stock
According to Vivobarefoot, 90% of footwear produced each year ends up in landfill – that's 22 billion pairs. But the company's "radical new footwear system" brings together forward-thinking technologies to redefine the traditional shoe-making process and cut waste out. Unveiled in June 2023, VivoBiome is a made-to-order and made-to-measure shoe production model that employs local 3D printing for a scan-to-print service. The platform offers customers a "regenerative and personalised barefoot-inspired" shoe for individual feet and is designed to be remade.
The Biome Lab allows users to scan their feet, try the shoes in augmented reality, and configure their own designs. Developed in partnership with 3D printing leader WASP, the AI-enabled model uses Selective Laser Centering (SLS) to print a perfect-fit shoe, only using the exact amount of material needed to produce the product. VivoBiome will be available in the UK from January 2024, retailing at GBP 250 (USD 317) per pair with a lead time of 75 days. A US launch is scheduled for late 2024.
Launched in January 2023, SkinStacks is a future-focused collaboration between American skincare brand Neutrogena and UK-based supplement pioneer Nourished. A range of 3D-printed, on-demand nutrient gummies, the edible skincare product leverages Neutrogena's 90-year expertise in skin health and Nourished's cutting-edge 3D printing technology. The result is a bespoke 'stack' featuring seven layers of scientifically-backed vitamins and nutrients, like selenium, zinc, biotin, and vitamins A, C, D3, and E, designed to work for each customer's individual skincare needs.
To determine the right ingredients, the innovative platform uses Neutrogena's Skin360 digital skin assessment tool to review over 2,000 facial attributes across 100,000 skin pixels. The resulting SkinStack is crafted through Nourished's proprietary 3D printing technology. A month's supply retails at USD 49.99 and can be amended based on evolving skin needs and stages of life, bolstering customer participation.
Most fashion brands heavily rely on trend and sales forecasting to produce their inventory, based on universal sizes that don't always fit. Research by The British Fashion Council in 2023 found that 23 million garments returned by customers in the UK were sent to landfill or incinerated. Returned goods are a massive load on brands and the easiest thing to do is dump them.
To tackle this problem, California-based textile innovation studio and custom denim label Unspun unveiled its "zero-inventory vision" – Vega – in June 2023. Touted as the "world's first 3D weaving technology", Vega transforms yarns into seamless, custom-fit garments through an automated and intentional production model at scale. The make-what-you-sell technology is said to be 10 times faster and five times cheaper than traditional cut-and-sew methods, cutting lead times from nine months to two days. Once worn out, Vega-made garments can be sent back to Unspun to be endlessly unwoven and rewoven. The company plans to deploy the technology to micro-factories internationally to enable localised production.
Research conducted by The Body Shop in 2022 found that GBP 1 million (USD 1.27 million) worth of unused, unopened, or abandoned skincare products are collected by British households. UK-based startup Skin + Me takes the guesswork out of skincare, curating scientifically-proven treatment plans subject to dermatological assessment. With 650 qualified dermatologists in the UK, the brand aims to make medical expertise accessible and affordable, "democratising dermatology for all".
A free online consultation determines each customer's skincare concerns, resulting in a bespoke monthly prescription of made-to-order Daily Dosers. The brand's packaging dispenses the exact dose with one twist so each order lasts exactly one month. Ongoing check-ins are guaranteed to facilitate reformulations, and membership plans can be paused to minimise waste. In February 2023, the D2C company secured EUR 11 million (USD 12.06 million) in its Series B funding round, thanks to its 100% growth rate YoY since launching in 2020. Customers have reported a 133% improvement in their skin, proving the efficacy of its personalisation strategy.
London-based designer Helen Kirkum's self-titled studio refashions a client's old sneakers into one-of-a-kind shoes, complete with their initials. The creative studio recycles and upcycles discarded sneakers and deadstock materials by hand, "weaving together the history and memories of materials". Customers contribute to the design of a 'legacy' sneaker, giving six personal pairs of sneakers that are deconstructed and reconstructed into something new.
The Bespoke Legacy Sneakers service costs GBP 2,500 (USD 3,172) and includes an initial consultation in which the customer is encouraged to share the shoes' story and build their history into the new design. Progress shots are shared throughout the process, and the final item is returned to the customer eight to 10 weeks later. Kirkum has also developed an on-demand Sneaker Sculptures workshop, featuring a tool box of video tutorials, printable templates, and tips on how to repurpose household waste materials and design sneaker concepts from scratch.