As climate change becomes a serious global issue, the fashion industry is one of the areas facing the most heat. People are criticizing fast fashion shaming the manufacturers and their buyers. Now, every sector of the industry is being forced to embrace sustainability. Brands are responding to this shift in various ways. While some are adopting sustainable practices, others are transitioning their materials to eco-friendly alternatives.
Sustainable fashion packaging is a trend. From high fashion to sports brands, big names are ditching plastic wraps for paper-based packaging. Some are getting creative, creating entire campaigns around their sustainability efforts.
Transition from Plastic to Eco-Friendly Materials
The transition from plastic materials for packaging to eco-friendly alternatives was not born out of a regular shift of trends. For years, the fashion industry has been a leading source of waste generation, with tons of unused clothing ending up in landfills and oceans. While we grapple with overconsumption, the excessive use of packaging creates an opening to start reducing the carbon footprint of fashion brands.
For most of the past decades, plastics have been the traditional packaging material. They are used for shopping bags, hang tags, and packaging inserts. Most of these items are non-biodegradable, leading to long-term pollution and harming marine life. As the world grapples with the impact of these items on the environment, an unavoidable campaign for eco-friendly packaging solutions has started.
Now, the fashion industry is gradually transitioning from plastic to paper-based materials and other eco-friendly alternatives. These materials help lower their carbon footprint, as they tend to require less energy to produce and decompose naturally. Most are also recyclable, increasing their lifespans and lessening demand from virgin resources.
Major Brands Leading the Sustainability Trend
The wave of fashion packaging sustainability is sweeping through the length and breadth of the industry. No matter which sector you are interested in, some efforts are definitely already being made to reduce your carbon footprint. Let’s examine some of the major brands in various areas of the fashion industry and how they are leaning into sustainability.
Gucci
Gucci is one of the high-fashion brands that is adopting sustainable packaging to reduce its carbon footprint. Instead of traditional plastics, its bags are made of recyclable, FSC-certified paper. Other efforts in the Gucci eco-packaging system include using water-based inks and no plastic lamination.
Nike
Arguably the biggest sports brand in the world, the Nike sustainable packaging drive has set the tone for other brands. Notable efforts include its “One Box,” a shoebox that also functions as a shipping container. Apart from this singular example, Nike’s sustainable packaging uses recycled and FSC-certified paper to make its packaging materials, amid other efforts at carbon footprint reduction.
H&M
One of the biggest fashion retailers has committed to sustainability by introducing paper garment bags for online orders. By 2030, it aims to make all its packaging 100% recyclable or reusable.
Zara
Zara is a perfect example of the paper vs. plastic packaging sustainability trend. It has even set an even earlier deadline for eliminating plastic packaging than most competitors. The brand is replacing plastic bags with paper-based alternatives, hoping to fully eliminate plastic packaging by 2025. Another fun fact is that Zara sources all its materials from sustainable forests.
Consumer Demands and Regulatory Influence
Two factors have influenced much of the change in the fashion industry: consumer demands and regulatory standards. First, we cannot underestimate the role of consumers in facilitating these changes, as most brands only respond to money. So, when consumers demand eco-friendly products and packaging, brands have no option but to deliver them.
Also noteworthy is how governments use regulations to bring desired changes to an industry driven by innovation and creativity. Authorities create regulations demanding businesses to limit their carbon emissions to some levels or incentivize sustainable practices. These two factors have been major drivers behind sustainable packaging in the fashion industry.
Challenges in Adopting Sustainable Materials
Despite their best intentions, fashion businesses have been facing some challenges in adopting sustainable materials for their packaging. Some of these challenges are:
- Durability: Fashion brands, especially those that make fragile or luxurious items, are often hesitant to use paper-based materials, as they can be less durable than plastic. These materials also tend to be less water-resistant, which can compromise the quality of goods during shipping, storage, and other periods in the supply chain.
- Cost: Biodegradable packaging materials are still more expensive than plastic, forcing brands to choose between cost and environmental responsibility.
- Supply Chain Limitations: As demand rises for biodegradable packaging materials, the limited supply struggles to keep up. This increases the cost of available materials, raising the issue of affordability again.
Wrapping Up
It is indisputable that sustainability has become a responsibility of all stakeholders in the fashion industry. Brands must strive to meet the demands of eco-conscious consumers, and buyers must also adopt sustainable practices like reusing shopping bags or recycling them. Overall, the future is bright for fashion industry sustainability, and with bigger brands leading the charge, small companies are bound to follow.
