Yahoo Lifestyle Save the Duck Gives Secondhand a Charity Spin With New Digital Product Passport Feature
MILAN — Save the Duck is making charity use of its Digital Product Passport.
Through a partnership with its Digital Product Passport supplier, the Italy-based fashiontech company Certilogo, Save the Duck now allows customers to thrift their pre-loved garments and donate them to the nonprofit organization Humana People to People Italia.
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The service, available to Italian customers only in its current pilot phase, falls within Save the Duck’s sustainability mission. Known for its animal-free policy, the outerwear specialist was the first Italian fashion company to obtain B Corp status in July 2019.
Owners of Save the Duck clothing can select the “donate” option through the QR code printed on each of the brand’s pieces and personally hand it over to Humana Vintage and Humana People shops in Italy or ship it through a carrier.
“It’s not just about ensuring transparency in the production process and extending the lifespan of our garments, but also about raising awareness and enabling people to contribute to a greater cause, as well as tracking their donation,” said Nicolas Bargi, founder and chief executive officer of Save the Duck.
“Humana People to People Italia works with local communities — both in Italy and worldwide — providing support to the most vulnerable groups affected by poverty and social inequality through international cooperation projects. By donating their Save The Duck garments, customers actively take part in this mission,” he added.
“I strongly believe that each Save The Duck piece is… also an opportunity for solidarity. That’s why, when a garment is no longer in use, it becomes an act of generosity and by donating it the value of what we create is extended, giving it a second life, and contributing to a fairer world,” Bargi said.
Established in 1998, Humana People to People Italia is part of an international network operating in 46 countries. By collecting and reselling pre-loved fashion and through partnerships with fashion brands, the nonprofit organization funds global initiatives geared at health care and prevention, education, sustainable agriculture, food safety, female empowerment and support to childhood.
“This initiative adds another virtuous piece to the intricate mosaic that shapes the lifecycle of our garments, making the consumer an active participant in driving positive change — not only for the environment but also on a social level,” said Karina Bolin, president of Humana People to People Italia.
The tie-in marks a new step in Save the Duck’s adoption and implementation of the Digital Product Passport, first introduced with the spring 2024 collection in partnership with Certilogo.
The blockchain-based tool currently allows Save the Duck customers to access information on materials, manufacturing processes and certifications, in addition to ensuring the authenticity of garments. It also allows the secondhand recirculation of pre-owned Save the Duck pieces through a partnership between Certilogo and eBay.
“The integration of the ‘donate’ feature for Save the Duck marks a pivotal step in our mission to drive innovation in the fashion industry and highlights our expertise in developing Digital Product Passports that foster a sustainable and ethical transformation,” said Michele Casucci, Certilogo’s founder and general manager.
As reported, Save the Duck was acquired by two private investors in 2022.
Swiss beauty company L’Occitane Group’s executive director and chairman Reinold Geiger and former chief executive officer André J. Hoffmann — both already minority investors in Save the Duck — raised their stakes through their personal investment vehicles Société D’Investissements Cime S.A. and Anatra Investments Ltd., buying out the private equity fund Progressio SGR, which had controlled the outerwear brand since 2018.
Following the deal, the two investors own an 80 percent combined interest in the company, while the remainder is controlled by Save the Duck founder and chief executive officer Bargi, who remains in that role.
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