Online fashion brands can now be that little bit more sustainable, with the launch of a compostable packaging range for fashion brands which is made from a corn-based biopolymer and is as durable as plastic.
Launched by sustainable sourcing platform, SupplyCompass – a London and Mumbai-based design-to-delivery sourcing platform for fashion and interiors brands worldwide – the bags have been designed to meet demand from both brands and consumers and to tackle single-use plastic in the garment supply chain, head-on.
The new packaging range includes eco mailers (postal packaging for ecommerce brands) and polybags (supply chain packaging) that are 100% compostable, making them a perfect plastic-free packaging choice. The bags are made from a corn-based biopolymer whilst being durable and waterproof, ensuring items are kept securely. Once used, the bags can be put into a home compost where they will break down in six months.
Flora Davidson, SupplyCompass co-founder, explains: “As a business we see millions of single-use polybags being discarded on a regular basis, so we set out to tackle this. Polybags are the plastic bags used in the distribution and delivery end of the supply chain to protect products. They’re lightweight, effective and cheap. But, unfortunately, their most common iteration is 100% plastic and difficult to recycle.”
Davidson continues: “According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s recent report The New Plastics Economy, plastic packaging is estimated at 26% of the total volume of plastics created a year. 72% of this plastic packaging is never incorporated back into the economy: 40% is landfilled and 32% leaks out of the collection system altogether. As one of the only businesses to offer customisable, compostable polybags, we’re looking forward to helping instigate change within the garment supply chain.”
With a shelf life of 12 months, the eco mailer and polybags also come in various sizes and are customisable, so brands can use their own logo or words to make them their own. The bags have a minimum order of 3,000 units and a lead time of eight weeks. Samples cost between £55-£100+ depending on the size of the bag, and cane fibre biodegradable stickers can also be ordered. SupplyCompass’s partner factory for its compostable packaging range is located in southern India.
