Packaging is an essential part of the brand experience, especially when running an e-commerce store. There are many aspects to take into account, and time is now right to rethink the way we package our products and take the opportunity to see if we can improve our packaging.
The main reason for this rework was to see if we could find an alternative to all the plastics that we are currently using. Even though we are using some recycled plastics, plastic still originates from a finite source, and finding a renewable source is highly desirable.
We also wanted to see if we could improve the functionally of the packaging, making it easier for you to return your product in the same package, if needed.
It all starts with understanding the product journey, from the very start all the way home to you.
The main function for our packaging is of course to protect the products. The whole product journey has to be considered to understand what type of protection is needed in different parts of the journey. It starts at the sewing factory; once the product is finished we need to protect each and every single item separately. This is most commonly done by using a thin plastic bag. This is the first layer of protection. All these bags are then put into a large shipping box. Once the products arrives at our warehouse, the thin plastic bags continues to keep the product safe during sorting and storing in our warehouse. Once an order is placed, many time with more than one item, we need another layer of protection that also can hold all the items in that specific order.
This means that we have three main components in our packaging that works as protection:
First layer of protection.
Shipping box from factory.
Second layer of protection.
One good thing with our current packaging is that it is quite minimalistic. We always use a bag as our second layer of protection, meaning no unnecessary air is being shipped. But even though we use a bag, it still originates from a finite source of material.
So what are we changing?
Removing the plastic means changing the first and second layer of protection. The thin plastic bags that works as the first layer will be replaced with a thin paper bag, and the second layer will be replace by a thicker paper bag. Both are made from FSC-certified paper.
The second layer will also include a second strip of tape, which will make it more convenient if you need to return the package.
When will this happen?
We have already started, and we do the change gradually. Products that are produced from now on will have the new bag, while products that we have in stock, will keep the old one. This means that some of you will still get the old packaging and some will get the new. Replacing all our packaging at once would mean loads of wasted packaging material, but we aim to have all plastic bags phased out during 2022.