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Sustainable Retail Packaging – Simplified

The Future Is Green
YOUR NAVIGATOR

GUIDING BRANDS TO ECO-FRIENDLY RETAIL PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Most retailers plan to transfer a portion of their volume to biodegradable, recycled, or compostable packaging by 2023.

We are proud to be guiding our partners—some of the biggest stakeholders in global retail—through this historic transition.

In doing so, we look to our core values of trustworthiness, expertise, and empathy to help them make the best possible choices for the future of retail—and the future of the planet.

We establish long-standing relationships with trusted manufacturers, who uphold the highest levels of production quality and ethical standards.

We conduct on-the-ground testing and analyses at our overseas factories, combining the strengths of a global supply chain with the attentiveness of a boutique firm.

We don’t claim to be able to solve the sustainability issue on our own. Yet, when we work in partnership with our community—suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers—we believe we can achieve true progress.

Enriched by our past and galvanized by our present, we look forward to leading our partners to a green future.

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Green

Future

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SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING STARTS WITH CHOOSING MATERIALS

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We offer a wide range of recycled, biodegradable, and compostable materials:

  • 100% FSC-certified recycled paper
  • 100% recyclable paper (including handles)
  • Washable paper
  • 360 Recycled paper
  • 100% recyclable plastic
  • 40% post-consumer waste plastic
  • RPET – Recycled polyethylene terephthalate biodegradable plastic
  • Compostable plastic
  • Fair Trade Certified™ cotton
  • BCI Certified™ cotton substrates
  • Cork
Used plastic crushed, Prepared to be re-melted into recycled plastic pellets High Resolution Seamless Natural Brown Cork Texture Wall Pattern Tile

SUSTAINABLE
PACKAGING EXPERT RESOURCES

WE COLLABORATE WITH SUSTAINABILITY ORGANIZATIONS AND ENGAGE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS TO HELP US REFINE AND EXECUTE OUR STRATEGIES.

Member Associations

We are a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition® a leading voice in the space with a body that covers the entire supply chain.

Experts

We collaborate with environmental experts.

Jennie Romer

Jennie Romer

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Juhea Kim

Juhea Kim

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Product Innovation

We constantly seek new materials and develop innovative lines of sustainable products.

Knowledge

We research and share the most up-to-date and relevant information with retailers and the packaging industry at large.

Jennie Romer

Attorney, policy advisor, sustainability consultant and, founder of PlasticBagLaws.orgJennie is a leader in policy efforts and litigation to reduce plastic pollution at local, state, and national levels. She served as pro bono counsel to New York City Council Member Brad Lander on the plastic-bag law that passed in 2016. Jennie also coordinated the Bag It NYC Coalition in support of that bill. NYC’s bag law was preempted by the state legislature. From this momentum, the New York State legislature later passed a statewide ban on plastic carryout bags. 

Juhea Kim

Writer, artist, advocate, and journalist. Juhea’s fiction and nonfiction often explore climate change, sustainability, and conservation. Her writing has been published in Granta, Times Literary Supplement, Sierra Magazine, and other leading literary journals and magazines. Juhea is the founder and editor of Peaceful Dumpling, an online magazine covering sustainable lifestyle and ecological literature. Juhea has received fellowship support from Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference and Regional Arts & Culture Council and has taught environmental writing at Arizona State University’s Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.  

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OUR GREEN GLOSSARY

LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Alternative Ink

based in soy or vegetable oil, rather than petroleum

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Biodegradable

breaks down naturally when exposed to light, air, and the elements

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Carbon Offset

compensates for the emissions in the production and delivery of packaging with carbon-negative options

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Certified Wood

sourced from responsibly managed forests and mills

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Compostable

disintegrates into its natural state in either home or industrial composting setting

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Cork

a sustainable material harvested from the bark of the cork tree

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Local Production

made in local facilities, cutting down on transit emissions

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Natural Glue

adhesives made from natural, non-toxic ingredients

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Organic Cotton

only has half the carbon footprint and clean water usage as conventional cotton

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Post-Consumer

materials that have been collected for recycling after consumer use

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Recyclable

can be used as an ingredient of a new material

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Renewable

made of regenerative materials that can be replenished on a human timescale

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Reusable

designed to be used more than once

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rPET

new, highly durable plastic material made of post-consumer recycled plastic

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Sustainable Manufacturing

created in a facility that uses renewable energy

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Vegan

involves no animal exploitation or ingredients

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Washable Paper

durable material made of cellulose pulp from sustainably managed forests

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Water-based Ink

quick-drying ink that’s soluble in water, rather than petroleum

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Why This Matters

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PARTNERS
We are proud to partner with some of the most respected names in global retail
GREENFUTURE

BRANDS & SUSTAINABILITY

WORKING WITH LEADING BRANDS TOWARDS A GREEN FUTURE
GAP Inc.

GAP Inc. is committed to “making business more sustainable”—both within the company and throughout the industry at large. And as one of the preeminent retailers in the world, GAP Inc. truly has the capacity to effect meaningful changes.

To that end, the brand has pledged to prioritize safe and fair working conditions, minimize its environmental impact, and work with the rest of the industry to achieve global progress.

Read more in GAP Inc.’s sustainability report

 URBN

Comprising highly visible and influential brands Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People, URBN has pledged to be as eco-friendly as possible both in stores and at its corporate headquarters.

Some of its sustainability initiatives include recyclable shopping bags, partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and reusable design and restoration strategy in offices and stores.

Find out more on URBN’s sustainability page.

Ascena

As one of the biggest women’s specialty retailers in the world (with brands such as Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Lane Bryant), Ascena gives back through philanthropy and policies that focus on women and girls.

The group also has increased its share of cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative, and engaged with all Tier 1 suppliers and mills as a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition since 2013.

Ascena is in the process of reducing its carbon footprint throughout its stores, distribution centers, and corporate campuses. The group also partners with on-the-ground environmental nonprofits such as Planet Water.

Read more on Ascena’s responsibility page.

Matson

Our logistics partner Matson invests in sustainability across the company from designing their new vessels to modernizing shoreside operations to continuing education for employees

Read more about Matson’s sustainability strategies.

Bunzl Retail

Environmental consciousness is one of the core values of Bunzl Retail, one of the world’s leading retail suppliers.

As an ISO14001:2015 certified organization, Bunzl is committed to protecting the environment, reducing waste and carbon emissions, working in partnership with local communities, and continuing to drive improvements to leave a better planet for future generations.

Read more in Bunzl’s Environmental Policy Statement.