Having purchased some clothes online recently, I noticed that all companies seem to seal the new clothes (with labels!) inside disposable plastic bags. I found it really interesting that Nike even shipped the package in a paper bag with "Sustainability" in bolded text, even though there was a lot of plastic bags inside. Given Patagonia's reputation with environmental sustainability at the forefront, it was surprising to also see that they use plastic to seal their clothes. I get that these small supply chain issues can be overlooked by management, even if there are good intentions, like shipping the package in paper bags. I will reach out to both Nike and Patagonia to inquire why they use these plastics, and hopefully get them to change these small things. Given Vancouver has already banned single use plastics, I envision that sealing clothes in plastic to ship them will soon be a thing of the past.
top of page
Make the pledge to push for system change with CoSphere.
Create an account to join and begin connecting with our community.
Why Join?
Why Join?
THE COMMUNITY FORUM
bottom of page
Hi Kevin, I too have found that a lot of my clothes are wrapped in multiple layers of plastic. I have recently ordered from Gymshark and they say that "we're cutting down on the use of swing-tags so this product does not come with one" but then wrap all their clothes in plastic bags. It makes me wonder how much they're actually doing by removing these tags on some items.
Hi Kevin,
There is a lot of plastic used in packaging and some interventions could be making stricter policies and laws regulating the plastic use by companies!
Hi Kevin, such a good observation. I have also noticed this. I also think you raise such an interesting point about Patagonia's packaging, because you would think they'd use something more 'sustainable'. Right away, I would think that if their goal was to protect the garment during shipment, perhaps they could wrap it in thin paper/tissue paper instead? At least paper is very recyclable...but I also wonder about what Kai said in class about how making paper is more energy (and waste? cant remember) intensive than making plastic...so it's hard to weight the two options against each other.
Hi Kevin, thank you for bring up this point. Not only in Vancouver, in China and I think everywhere around the globe, lots of plastic bags are used for packaging, especially when people increasingly favor online shoppings, this problem is very serious. Very excited to here your follow up with Nike and Patagonia.
Hey Kevin! I have some insider knowledge about your clothing being shipped in plastic bags! This is done to prevent you clothing from becoming moldy during transport. I am sure you would not want your nike running shorts being sent to you stinky and covered in mold. The best way to prevent this is honestly purchasing things in store! Many parts of supply chains require special sanitary protocols because without them no one would want to buy the product in the first place.
Hey Kevin, you got a really good point here! I understand that sometimes plastic packaging is hard to be replaced by other packagings because it's transparent and durable, but plastic packaging is definitely not necessary for clothes. I couldn't believe that Patagonia also uses plastic packaging.
Totally agreed! It always has to do with the appeal of cheap manufacturing and maximizing profits and I don't feel like it will stop anytime soon. I do appreciate there being role models on the market as you suggest however.
I agree, somethings we buy are wrapped it plastic for no reason. If we think about it, there is no need more clothes to be sealed in plastics bags, as they are already shipped in cardboard boxes. You can usually not use the disposable plastic bags again, as they rip the second you open them up to take your product out of the bag, making matter worse.
Hello Kevin! I'm glad you brought this up because I've noticed it as well and found it odd and quite unnecessary, especially since there was a time I only bought one shirt and a few accessories... Please let us know if Nike or Patagonia ever responds to you! I'd love to hear their reasons towards using the disposable plastic bags and I hope as well that it will be a thing of the past :)
Hello Kevin, I too have recently noticed when ordering clothes online that they usually come in shitty disposable plastic bags. I have tried re-using the larger ziplock bags that some clothes come in and even those tend to not hold reuse-ability. I definitely agree with you that these single use plastics are just not necessary and should be banned, but i think another clever way for companies to still package there clothes and not get damaged is to charge consumers an extra low cost fee that incorporates a reusable plastic bag that keeps the clothes from getting dirty and damaged, but can also benefit the consumer by acting as a plastic tote or grocery bag to carry things in.
This is definitely something I have noticed too.
It's nice to hear that you will be reaching out to Nike and Patagonia! Please update us all if they respond
I agree! Your intervention is a great way that you, as an individual, can make change. Small change counts too!!
that is a great point you made about clothing being wrapped in plastic being extremely problematic