Internet Fusion Group (Surfdome Parent Group) Implements New Sustainable Practices

Internet Fusion Group decided to open the doors to their new highly sustainable warehouse in Kettering (UK) to the brands that they work with, on August 15, 2018. Having recently implemented a new sustainable traffic light system for their packaging, they wanted to share this with the brands and show they are ready to implement it in a collaborative manner.

On the 15th of August, the Internet Fusion Group flung open the doors of it’s highly sustainable new warehouse to its valued brands, for a day that was set to inspire drastic environmental changes in the business relations and operations with the group!

The Internet Fusion Group caters for the enthusiasts among us, the passionates that love nothing more than getting out there and enjoying their chosen activities. A diverse range of pursuits, that all have one common element – the great outdoors! So, it should come as no surprise that the Group are striving to protect the very environment that their customers enjoy.

It started back in 2015 with one of the group’s ocean-oriented businesses, Surfdome, who had become increasingly aware of the plastic being found on beaches and in the oceans and its customers’ growing concern about this issue. So in true action sports style, the business took action by eliminating 74% of the plastic in its own packaging – the equivalent of 650,000 plastic bottles in the first year!

The response was overwhelming; at the time two thirds of Surfdome’s social media conversations were around sustainability, the business secured a mention in the ‘New Plastic Economy’ document presented at the ‘World Economic Forum’ in Davos, they became a case study for the ‘World Business Council for Sustainable Development’, they were ranked as one of the top 16 fashion and beauty brands helping save the ocean and they even spoke in the Northern Ireland Houses of Parliament about their strategy.   

The strategy is set to save the company money.

Fast forward to 2018 and sustainability is now embedded in the DNA of the broader Internet Fusion Group furthering their unfailing stance on the matter by improving the sustainability credentials of the new state of the art warehouse (which already sits just outside the top 1% most sustainable buildings in the country!) Never content with standing still the Group soon identified another sustainability win; the country’s first automated packaging machine. This innovative device dramatically reduces packaging sizes and consequently packaging materials too. This reduces harmful C02 emissions and may well assist the company in addressing its final plastic reduction challenge.

But to do this the Internet Fusion Group needs the full cooperation of its wide range of valued brands. Now confident in their own sustainability strategy, the Group felt it was time to assist their suppliers to join them on their highly important journey.

In yet another groundbreaking activation the group provided their brands with a new ‘Delivery Policy’ which came with a twist; the policy also doubles up as best practice packaging guide to reduce plastic pollution. In an easily readable traffic light system; the red zone highlighting packaging that the Group will no longer accept, the amber zone outlining the minimum accepted and the green zone suggesting the preferred. It’s a bold move to really force the agenda forward in a market that already understands the need to do more to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

The recent open day, in which 750+ brands were invited into their innovative warehouse in person, was an event to prove the Group’s intent to work in a highly collaborative manner. The response has been massively positive across the board … change is happening!