Climate action
We believe all businesses have a responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate change literacy - including us.
Climate Change
The warming of our climate is the most pressing environmental issue we face, and the biggest risk to our business. Taking action to prevent the climate warming above 1.5C is crucial to prevent more frequent and severe weather events, such as storms, floods, fires and the resulting poverty and dislocation of millions of people.
Carbon Audit
With our partner Carbon Neutral we will complete our first carbon audit, giving us oversight of our greenhouse gas emissions from our headquarters, warehouses, distribution to customers - our brand footprint.
Our next step will be to map and understand our product emissions from extraction to product construction. We have begun the process of gathering further data from our suppliers to make this happen including an initial life cycle analysis.
Transport and Freight
As a global brand, we know that delivering products to customers worldwide creates carbon emissions. Our products predominantly travel by ship from our manufacturing hub in Asia to our warehouses in the UK, Europe and Australia. As part of our emissions reduction plan, in 2022 we will streamline our distribution model into the Americas, allowing us to move more product via ship rather than by air.
For customer deliveries we use a combination of trucks and air freight, and partner with companies who setting carbon emission targets.
A Life Cycle Analysis
In 2021 we undertook a life-cycle assessment (LCA), a data analysis, to identify the environmental impacts of our leak-proof underpants by reviewing raw material extraction, transport, manufacturing, distribution, customer use and end of life.
Raw Material Extraction
Transport
Manufacturing
Distribution
Customer Use
End of Life
We put two different Modibodi underpants through the LCA to measure the carbon emissions and water use of each product. We chose a Classic Bamboo Bikini in a Light-Moderate absorbency and a Recycled Seamfree Full Brief in a Heavy-Overnight absorbency*. The results highlighted the highest emissions points within our value chain.
• The LCA shows that raw material creation from growing, extracting and processing into fabrics create the most carbon emissions.
• The second highest emission created are customer energy use for washing.
• Transport is an important part of our emission reduciton plan. Using sea freight compared to air significantly reduces emissions.
• Customer washing is the most significant factor for water use followed by water used for growing and husbandry of raw materials.
Switching to reusable underpants can have a huge impact on reducing carbon emissions. One person’s yearly use of disposable tampons produces 8.2kg of CO2 emissions or for a pad user 16.8kg of CO2 emissions.
We compared the absorbent gussets in our underpants to disposable single use products over four years to give the most like for like comparison. The results showed that Modibodi gussets create significantly fewer carbon emissions with a Heavy-Overnight gusset and a light-moderate gusset creating 60% and 70% fewer carbon emissions than equivalent pads and tampons.*
*Based on 8 pairs of classic bikini Modibodi merino gussets over four years compared to equivalent tampons and pads.
What is your carbon footprint?
Did you know we all have a carbon footprint! Everyday our choices impact the amount of carbon we create. Choices in how we TRAVEL our HOMES (electricity and heating) and what we CONSUME (food, shopping, hobbies).
Take our quick 2 minute quiz to see your footprint.