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A lot needs to happen to keep a brand sustainable. Between sourcing fabrics, supply chain ethics, and tracking emissions, sustainable packaging may not be top of mind at all. However, environmentally friendly packaging is important to customers.
As you probably know, the most common way to ship items is in plastic bags. Plastic bags are convenient because they protect your products from scratches, dirt, and moisture. The problem is that they are part of the plastic pollution problem. And customers aren’t happy about it either.
But customer loyalty isn’t the only thing you need to worry about. Regulations are being introduced around the world to solve the plastic crisis. The European Parliament has set packaging reduction targets that include a minimum amount of recycled content.
There are many reasons to switch to eco-friendly packaging, but it’s not without its own challenges. Items damaged in transit due to insufficient protection may be discarded, causing more serious environmental impacts.
So how can you prevent your packaging from becoming a source of plastic waste destined for landfills, while ensuring that your customers receive ethical products?
While plastic is lightweight, durable, waterproof, and cheap, it is not a long-term solution, especially for companies looking to reduce their impact. The good news is that there are a growing number of environmentally friendly alternatives for clothing and e-commerce packaging. But before we get into our product recommendations, let’s explore the options for sustainable packaging solutions, including their benefits and tradeoffs.
Reducing packaging: One way to reduce the impact of single-use packaging is to simply use less. Some brands accomplish this by putting multiple items in one bag, using more strategic folding methods, or simply using smaller plastic bags. As of fall 2021, sustainable fashion brand Prana has almost completely eliminated the use of plastic bags by rolling its clothing instead of folding and bundling it. As of 2019, 38% of brands surveyed by Fashion for Good are considering and implementing similar initiatives.
It’s a start for consumers to replace individual plastic bags, but it’s easier said than done. If your product is manufactured and packaged by an overseas supplier, you will need to work with that supplier to modify your brand’s packaging process. Otherwise, you will have to dispose of the excess plastic yourself, incurring extra labor and logistics costs for unpacking and repacking.
Recycled plastic bags: Pollution isn’t the only problem with plastic. Plastic production also has a negative impact on the environment. Plastics contribute to climate change because they are derived from fossil fuels. A 2019 report estimated that by 2050, plastic production and incineration could produce the equivalent emissions of 615 coal-fired power plants a year.
Therefore, choosing recycled plastic over new is clearly a more sustainable choice. Some brands are incorporating recycled materials into their packaging, while others are ditching new plastic packaging altogether. Many suppliers offer polybags with up to 100% recycled content that look and function like new. But how environmentally friendly is recycled plastic, really?
The answer is, it depends. The most commonly used material, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), can be recycled with minimal ink and water-based adhesives. But you can’t put them in your typical street recycling bin. This means that even technically recyclable plastic packaging is often thrown away. Although organizations like How2Recycle offer bins in typical stores to recycle some plastic bags, recycling rates for plastic film have continued to decline since 2017.
This means it’s not a circular solution in nature. Minimizing the use of plastic requires two elements. We use recycled packaging and plan to continue recycling. This could look like accepting returns from customers like Patagonia, or working with programs that collect and recycle them. Make sure the plastic bags you get are actually recycled. Look out for the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS), and Recycled Materials Standard (RMS) labels, which are designed to verify recycled content in packaging.
After all, recycled plastic polybags are better than new polybags, but not all are a long-term solution.
Biodegradable and compostable packaging: Biodegradable bags are typically made from polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA), bio-PET, and some from corn, sugar cane, and other starches. is made from crops. Given enough time, it can decompose under the right environment. However, even if they are partially made of natural materials, they are not a completely environmentally friendly solution. Bioplastics are made using synthetic chemicals to increase flexibility, pliability, and strength. This means that they need to be carefully regulated, just like regular plastics.
An alternative is home compostable bags made from natural plant-based materials, which suffer from many of the same issues as bioplastics. Compostable bags can also cause environmental pollution, but there are currently no federal standards regulating them. If you choose this method, be sure to look for options that are green screen or Cradle to Cradle certified to be free of harmful chemicals. Additionally, make sure the material is certified as backyard compostable. (Alternatively, it is accepted by local commercial composting facilities, but that depends on the customer taking the extra step rather than throwing it away.)
Paper Packaging: Paper seems like the perfect solution at first. It’s easily recyclable, biodegradable, and a relatively accessible option for brands. However, like any other material, paper must be sourced responsibly to avoid contributing to deforestation. If you use paper, look for the Forest Stewardship Council label to ensure that the forests it comes from are well taken care of.
Another problem with paper?Durability. As Patagonia has discovered, garments packed in paper envelopes can be damaged very easily in transit. If you choose this option, consider choosing a sturdy version like sustainably sourced cardboard.
Reusable packaging: Reusable postage makes a huge difference to emissions and plastic waste. Brands like Toad&Co are working with LimeLoop to implement reusable packaging on their orders and include labels for easy and free returns. However, mail can be difficult to collect from customers and logistically difficult to return to supply chain partners. If you have a good understanding of reverse logistics, this could be the best bet for your brand. However, if you think that’s too much, you can also send your order in multi-functional packaging such as tote bags or reusable garment bags.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to sustainable packaging. Every brand must balance the benefits and tradeoffs of different options and decide what’s best for them. You may find that a combination of these options best suits your logistics and mission.
Brands can solve the packaging problem by making sustainable choices and implementing take-back solutions, but no company can tackle this systemic problem alone. Beyond shipping our own products, we can support policies such as extended producer responsibility, redirecting subsidies away from the oil industry to plastic-free alternatives, and industry standardization of packaging.
Here are some popular brands that can help reduce plastic waste in your packaging.
What we love: EcoEnclose is a specialty brand that excels in creative and sustainable packaging solutions. The majority of paper-based products are FSC certified, and poly-based packaging is confirmed to be recyclable. You can find information about the supply chain, material specifications such as inks and adhesives used, and recycling procedures. The collection includes paper mailers, poly mailers, shipping boxes, interior and retail packaging, labels, as well as stickers, notecards, hanging tags, and more.
Available: Worldwide
What we love: noissue creates custom sustainable packaging for manufacturers, brands, and businesses. We offer compostable, recyclable, and reusable options, all at low prices. We have a transparent map of our supply chain partners and an optional tree planting program. Recyclable poly mailers are reusable and curbside recyclable, and custom craft mailers are home compostable.
Available: Worldwide
What we like: LimeLoop offers a wide range of reusable, off-the-shelf and custom packaging solutions. We specialize in durable, lightweight and reusable mailers made from upcycled materials and work with brands to track the environmental impact of each package. We source from certified factories and only work with manufacturers who guarantee safe and fair working conditions.
Available: Worldwide
What we like: Tipa was founded to create flexible packaging that is not harmful to the environment. Our collection of fashion packaging includes compostable plastic bags, zipper bags, mailers, garment bags and resealable bags. The brand works with existing packaging suppliers around the world to provide instructions for composting packaging at home.
Available: Worldwide
What we like: Ecovative Design created this compostable alternative to Styrofoam and plastic by growing mycelium and agricultural substances together. What makes this packaging solution unique is that it can be molded to custom molds such as tincture, wine, and heart-shaped boxes, as well as being water and fire resistant. It can be composted at home within 45 days, but has a shelf life of 30 years.
Regions available: North America and Europe
What we like: PackMojo offers a large selection of FSC-certified recyclable packaging products. We partner with factories that produce paper and cardboard-based packaging, and all of our products contain at least 50% recycled materials. We offer water-based varnishes as an alternative to laminate, and all inks are soy-based.
Available: Worldwide
What we like: Sourceful aims to achieve zero carbon footprint and zero waste packaging. You can filter your selection by plastic-free, drop-in recyclable, recycled content, low-impact ink, or curbside recyclable. The company uses the majority of FSC-certified materials and vets its supplier network to maintain transparency and minimize environmental impact.
Availability: Sold worldwide, but if ordering from outside the UK please contact the brand first.
What we like: This online custom packaging marketplace offers boxers, mailers, and envelopes. You can filter your options by FSC-certified biodegradable materials, reusable, recyclable, or made with recycled content. Packhelp has an especially low starting price of just 30 pieces.
Availability: Continental US
What we like: DS Smith provides cardboard and paper recycling around the world, producing more than 15 billion recycling bins a year. We intentionally design our packaging to reduce the need for plastic. The company’s recycling and recyclable packaging solutions include returnable packaging, protective packaging and reusable packaging. We maintain global supplier standards to ensure ethical practices throughout our supply chain.
Available: Worldwide
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