With the objective of becoming a fully circular organization, H&M Group has developed a multi-brand packaging system with bags made of certified paper that are recyclable.
December 31, 2020
Swedish multinational clothing-retail company – H&M Group has introduced a new multi-brand paper packaging system that is reusable and recyclable. With the massive boost in online shopping worldwide and with that plastic waste, the fashion company discerned a need to find solutions for sustainable packaging.
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 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.”
Millions of packages have been sent to customers as part of a pilot-test of this for more sustainable packaging solutions at its distribution centers in the Netherlands, UK, Sweden, China, Russia, and Australia. Inspired by the packaging strategy and to become a fully circular organization, H&M Group has developed a multi-brand packaging system with bags made of certified paper. Once opened, the bags are recyclable.
Hanna Lumikero, service owner and responsible for the new packaging system at H&M Group, said in the release that “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.”
The H&M brand has started to implement the new system in selected markets, and this will only rise during the next months and with that, reach an even bigger group of customers all around the world. At the beginning of 2021, the brand &Other Stories will join our journey and ship their online orders in recyclable paper packaging.
The packaging solution will give an impetus to the H&M Group towards reaching the goals of its circular strategy for packaging, that is, reducing packaging by 25 percent and designing reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025 at the latest. Together with other actions, this has contributed to a 4.7 percent reduction in plastic packaging during 2019, which is over 1,000 tons of plastic. By implementing the new packaging pilot, the H&M group moves closer to reaching these goals.
