“An infinite burden”: Tipa CEO urges fashion industry to use compostable packaging

03 Aug 2023 --- The fashion industry’s wasteful practices are increasingly gaining attention from brands, consumers and packaging manufacturers. Consumers are becoming more aware of the wasteful practices of fast fashion, brands are trying to keep up with the changing landscape and packaging manufacturers are helping brands find ecological solutions.

Packaging Insights speaks with Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO and co-founder of Tipa, who expresses concern over plastic packaging and waste management in the fashion industry. Tipa aims to shift the fashion industry away from plastic packaging and implores it to move toward compostable solutions.

How does the packaging industry contribute to fast fashion waste?
Nissenbaum: A staggering 100 billion clothing items are produced yearly, and more than a quarter of all plastic created globally each year is used in the fashion industry. The fashion industry’s use of packaging is responsible for 26% of the total amount of plastic produced globally. The packaging industry offers an endless supply of unsustainable and environmentally detrimental plastic packaging for the fashion industry.  

Tipa offers compostable bags for fashion.Even more detrimental to the environment is the dominance of flexible plastic packaging in the fashion industry. The blend of plastic polymers must be separated to recycle this flexible plastic packaging. 

However, different polymers melt at different temperatures, making separating and recycling almost impossible. This results in low recycling levels for flexible packaging that hover around 3% even in the most advanced markets, such as the EU. The other 97% are being sent to incineration, landfill or are left in the environment, polluting our oceans, soil and water. 

How much waste does fashion packaging cause? 
Nissenbaum: According to a 2022 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report, fashion packaging accounts for 40% of plastic waste, while only 11% comes from clothing and textiles. This waste comes from every process in the fashion industry. For example, return rates can be anywhere from around 30-50%, where garments will be inspected and, if still in good condition, repacked in new plastic packaging and the old packaging discarded. These repacking operations generate a significant waste stream at distribution centers, especially those of pure e-commerce players and those with high product return rates.  

A further issue is the rate at which fast fashion brands are changing their clothing lines. Instead of the traditional seasonal fashion lines, fast fashion brands produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year – or one new collection a week. 

Along with all these new collections, launches, clothes and the production of 1 million garments a day, fast fashion brands rely on plastic packaging to ship and deliver this mountain of clothing. Even if the consumer tries to discard this packaging responsibly, only 13% of UK councils collect plastic bags and wrapping as part of their curbside recycling service. Consumers are therefore stranded with plastic packaging with no choice but to throw it away, resulting in an infinite burden on the planet.

How can the packaging industry reduce its fashion waste contribution?Tipa CEO calls attention to the plastic waste fashion packaging causes.
Nissenbaum: The demand for environmentally sustainable packaging is here. Consumer reports reveal that 61% of consumers in the UK say they’d switch to brands with eco-friendly packaging, with more than 75% reporting that they are willing to pay more for products with environmentally sustainable packaging.  

The packaging industry needs to invest in environmentally friendly practices to meet consumers’ demands and the ever-increasing environmental packaging legislation, such as the Extended Producer Responsibility coming into force in the UK. Central to Tipa’s circular model is our compostable packaging, which, after use, is placed in a composter, where the packaging transforms into nutrient-rich soil without leaving any harmful residues.

A further circularity tool the industry can take is shifting focus to localized production. At Tipa, we have a fabless model, where across continents like America, Australia and Europe, we collaborate with local factories to produce our packaging rather than owning our own. This strategy ensures that the products are manufactured as close to the area of distribution as possible, saving shipping distances and significantly reducing the products’ carbon footprint.

What are the best solutions for fashion packaging? 
Nissenbaum: Retailers are beginning to switch away from plastic packaging: High street giant Primark, for example, has pledged to eliminate all single-use plastics by 2027 by taking measures such as using cardboard – rather than plastic – display hangers in stores. British brand Superdry has also promised that 100% of its packaging will be converted to recyclable, reusable or compostable alternatives by 2025.

The fashion industry’s use of packaging makes up 26% of the total amount of plastic produced.The packaging industry must begin preparing its supply chains and practices for the changing times by investing in environmentally sustainable packaging designs and manufacturing models. At Tipa, we have been perfecting our compostable solutions since 2010 and make our flexible packaging from a blend of fully compostable polymers, which decompose into nutrient-rich soil once placed in a home or industrial composter.

Packaging manufacturers can lead the way against conventional plastic’s dominance in the fashion industry and beyond by being the same innovators that gave the world safe transportation of medicines, facilitated the longevity of food products and protected materials as delicate as silk. It is our time now to pave a new future for packaging.

What type of packaging should fashion brands use to ensure sustainability?
Nissenbaum: Our packaging shares the same characteristics as conventional plastic allowing it to fit into existing machinery used for traditional packaging. It boasts printability, durability and transparency, elegantly showcasing products.

The demand from the public for eco-friendly alternatives is apparent – numerous fashion brands have partnered with us for years. It’s time for the entire fashion industry to follow suit and join the movement toward a greener, more responsible future.

By Sabine Waldeck