(and always have been)
Picture this: your long-awaited order has finally arrived at your doorstep and it feels like Christmas morning. You excitedly cut open the box to discover your beautiful new gear…every inch of it wrapped in single-use plastic. You dig through all of that and there are the swift tacks—those ubiquitous tiny plastic items used to attach labels and price tags—that need to be cut off and then tossed (or in some cases, ripped off—which can damage your item). Finally, your shiny new item is ready to use, but at that point, your excitement may be dampened by the sheer volume of trash generated by a simple unboxing. For many customers, it’s a frustrating but widely accepted part of getting new gear…but the fact is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
At AppGearCo, we believe that far too many plastic products are used in processes, products, AND packaging. That’s why our sustainability efforts extend beyond using natural fibers in our All-Paca garments and gear into using renewable materials in our internal material handling and packaging. We’re proud to say we’ve done it this way since the very beginning, and we’re thrilled to see more brands getting on board. Here are a few steps we take to make sure our apparel and gear are always packed and shipped with lots of love, not lots of plastic.
- When you order from App Gear Co, your products come wrapped with recycled kraft paper and shipped in kraft boxes sealed with kraft tape. Kraft paper is a natural material made from wood pulp that’s known for its durability and high tear resistance. Best of all? It’s fully recyclable.
- After our garments are sewn, they are bulk packed in kraft boxes rather than individually wrapped plastic sleeves for transport from the sewing facility to our warehouse. Once there, pieces are inventoried the same way they’re shipped—rolled in recycled kraft paper.
- We use cardboard tubes to roll our fabric, and then we pick up those tubes after the sewing process and re-use them over and over again. (These are typically considered “single use” items.)
- We never use swift tacks on our products to attach tags. Instead, we use a simple, biodegradable paper tag inside the product that can easily be torn out without damaging the fabric.
So, as you can see, a mailbox full of plastic isn’t the only way to go when it comes to product packaging. Eco-friendly options are available, and they can make a big difference. While it can admittedly be more costly and labor intensive to move away from plastic packaging, we believe the environmental impact is well worth the effort and price.
