Sustainable packaging? The responsibility for this lies with online retailers and the fashion industry

A few important points

• Every day, around 2 million plastic wrappings are shipped in online fashion retail – that’s around 800 million shipping bags per year!

• Sustainable, plastic-free and reusable shipping packaging protects clothing just as reliably as plastic.

• Fewer returns and conscious consumer behaviour also contribute to sustainability.

The biggest environmental sins of online fashion shops

We’ve all seen them: pictures of turtles suffocating on straws, pictures of mountains of rubbish washed up on tropical beaches and the frightening facts about invisible microplastics that harm our environment and our health. And the worst part is online retail makes a huge contribution to this – especially in the fast fashion sector.

Almost 800 million plastic shipping bags per year

Many online shops package their products in plastic – for cost reasons or simply out of habit. But this poses a huge problem for our environment, as plastic often ends up in the wrong waste systems or, in the worst case, directly in nature – where it pollutes rivers, oceans and entire ecosystems!

But what does that have to do with CALIDA? In online fashion alone, around 791 million plastic shipping bags are shipped every year. At CALIDA, we want to set an example in the fashion industry, which is why we only use recyclable shipping materials that meet our brand’s sustainability standards.

Unnecessary padding material, adhesive, etc. end up with the wrong waste

It’s not only the packaging itself, but also what comes with it that’s often problematic. Cardboard boxes are often stuffed with unnecessary padding material – which, in the worst case, is made of plastic. Package tape and stickers make cardboard boxes even more difficult to recycle, and they end up in the residual waste instead of being properly separated into paper and plastic waste.

So, if you really want to return recyclable materials to the cycle, you should make sure you separate your waste and order from brands like CALIDA that think about sustainability down to the smallest detail – without plastic tape and the like.

Long journeys, express shipping and returns have twice the impact on the environment

Using express delivery or ordering several garments in order to choose just one to keep causes unnecessary pollution. In particular, if the clothes had to be produced in Asia and then imported to Germany, the emissions are hardly justifiable. After all, every transport route and every return means carbon emissions – even if the packaging is sustainable.

Sustainable packaging & products: how to protect the environment

If you want to continue shopping online, there’s a lot you can do to minimise your environmental footprint. This includes not only sustainably produced clothing but also shipping that is as environmentally friendly as possible. The good news is that we at CALIDA, in addition to recyclable, sustainable underwear made from high-quality natural materials, use climate-friendly and reusable packaging.

A real game changer: what environmentally friendly shipping packaging can do

Recyclable cardboard boxes, paper tape and hemp, wood wool or cellulose for padding: nowadays, the choice of environmentally friendly shipping materials is almost limitless – so it’s surprising that so many online shops still use plastic. After all, you don’t need to worry: sustainable shipping packaging is just as robust and hygienic as plastic. It reliably protects products from dirt and moisture and can be reused frequently afterwards.

Take a look at our deliveries in practical CALIDA laundry bags, for instance, which you can then use to wash your clothes or store underwear, cosmetics or even food!

Buying inferior quality means buying twice – and harming the environment

Sustainability doesn’t start with packaging, but with the quality of products – we shouldn’t forget that. So those who buy high-quality, durable clothing not only feel more comfortable, but also reduce returns and waste – and thus save valuable resources in the long term.

Here, CALIDA is a valuable alternative to the fast fashion industry: durable, sustainable fashion made from organic cotton, TENCEL™ Modal, SUPIMA® cotton and other high-quality materials, combined with the best craftsmanship and unparalleled comfort – packaged in environmentally friendly shipping bags, cardboard boxes and bags. In a nutshell: the best of both worlds!

Buy & sell second-hand – also online!

We understand that you might be reluctant to buy underwear and similar items second-hand. Instead, CALIDA offers an environmentally friendly range of underwear as an alternative to second-hand shopping.

But we would like to mention the advantages of buying and selling pre-loved clothes – because in this way you extend the life cycle of clothing and avoid emissions caused by importing new goods from China, India, etc. And best of all, you can also easily reuse your old packaging without buying new packaging or having to separate your rubbish.

In conclusion: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

‘Sustainable packaging’ isn’t just a marketing trend, it’s a huge and important responsibility, especially today. Or it should be, at least, and that’s why it is for CALIDA.

But how exactly does responsibility work? For example, companies can use environmentally friendly packaging materials and produce them in Europe – and end consumers can make more conscious purchase decisions, avoid unnecessary returns and reuse or recycle packaging.

Whether it’s a versatile laundry bag, recyclable or cardboard box – every little decision counts when it comes to making online retail that little bit more environmentally friendly. In this way, we can create a world of fashion that’s beautiful not only for us, but also for our planet.