A total of 22 brands are collaborating to join a campaign tackling the impact that paper packaging is inflicting on the world’s forests, biodiversity and climate.
With just a couple of days left before Black Friday, the brands have signed up to the Pack4Good initiative. They include beauty firm Lush Cosmetics (North America), fashion brand Stitch Fix, innovator Re-Leaf and print provider Hemlock.
The initiative was launched last year by Canopy, the firm that works with the forest industry’s customers and suppliers. Canopy, which has offices in the UK and Canada, is perhaps best known for greening the Harry Potter book series globally.
Pack4Good now includes 126 brands such as H&M, Stella McCartney and Ted Baker, with partners spanning fashion brands, personal care brands, printers and telecommunication companies as well as Next Generation Solutions providers, with more firms and sectors expressing interest.
All will work with Canopy to develop innovative packaging solutions to reduce waste and protect forests.
With as many as three billion trees currently cut down annually to produce paper packaging, and the increase in online sales, companies must ensure that the correct measures are taken to reduce the reliance of packaging on forests.
Pack4Good partners are committed to ensuring that by the end of 2022 all their packaging is:
Free of Ancient and Endangered Forests
Designed to reduce material use
Maximizing recycled and alternative Next Generation fibres (such as agricultural residues)
Using FSC-certified wood when virgin forest fibre continues to be used
Nicole Rycroft, executive director of Canopy, said:
“There’s no longer any need to use the last of the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests to ship and wrap everyday products.
“In this turn-around decade for our planet, the companies that are joining Pack4Good are demonstrating the leadership that must be taken to tackle paper packaging and scale up low-impact alternatives.”
Last year, Black Friday sales saw more than 93.2 million online shoppers, which generated a record $7.4 billion in sales. The additional packaging needed to meet this year’s demand would increase impacts on the world’s forest ecosystems, as e-commerce shopping requires, on average, seven times more packaging.
