H&M Group, Swedish intercontinental clothing-retail company, introduces new sustainable packaging solutions. At the company’s distribution centers in China, Russia, The Netherlands and Australia millions of packages have already been sent to customers as part of a test for more sustainable packaging solutions. The new packaging solution is a multi-brand paper packaging system that is reusable and recyclable. H&M Group is motivated to become a fully circular organization with an aim to reduce the risk of creating waste and once the packages are open, the bags are recyclable.
With online shopping increasing worldwide, plastic waste is increasing as well. H&M Group stated in a press release, “With Black Week just behind us and holidays around the corner, online shopping has reached its peak. And due to the pandemic taking over this year, it is safe to say that e-commerce has changed forever. But while online orders are increasing as a general global trend, so is the packaging waste. Most of it being plastic that ends up in landfills or in the ocean, having an extremely negative impact on our planet.”
The new packaging solution will also allow group’s brands on the branding label to be more relevant with messaging, while the bags have a cleaner and nicer look.
Hanna Lumikero, service owner and responsible for the new packaging system at H&M Group, said in the press release, “We are introducing a type of packaging that is better for both the customer and the environment. It is yet to be improved since we need to continue working on replacing the use of plastic throughout our logistics supply chain. But by introducing this new multi-brand packaging we are creating a huge impact by replacing the outer plastic with a paper solution. This is a small step on a long journey.”
H&M Group uses valuable input from their customers to improve and the response to the new sustainable packaging bags have been great. H&M Group is at the same time committed to reducing plastic throughout their business and value chain. “That is why we will implement this packaging solution in all of our brands,” Hanna Lumikero said.
The new packaging solutions has already been introduced to customers at COS, ARKET, Monki and Weekday and the H&M brand has started to implement it in selected markets. This will reach an ever bigger group of customers all around the world during the upcoming months and the brand ‘& Other Stories’ will join in 2021 and ship their online orders in recyclable paper-packaging.
H&M Group have removed most of their plastic shopping bags in the brands stores and substituted them with a certified paper option. This is part of H&M Group’s goals for circular strategy for packaging by 2025 which includes the reduction of packaging by 25% as well as designing reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging. The goals are aligned with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, as well as the Fashion Pact and Canopy’s initiative Pack4Good. This has so far, together with other actions, contributed to a 4.7 per cent reduction in plastic packaging during 2019, which is over 1,000 tons of plastic.
Source: FIBRE2FASHION.COM
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