Weekday trials reusable packaging for online orders

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 5, 2019

H&M Group’s Weekday is testing two new concepts as part of efforts to make online shopping more sustainable.

The brand said it is working with the Laboratory, an H&M-funded think-tank, and RePack, a Finnish startup, to trial reusable packaging and on-demand manufacturing.

Using reusable bags developed by RePack, the model re-circulates the same packaging in a bid to reduce packaging waste. 

Weekday explained that the initiative works by offering online shoppers a discount if they return the packaging, which they can do by dropping the RePack bag into any post box or Weekday store. The bags, made from durable and recycled materials, reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%, according to RePack.

The reusable packaging is joined by an on-demand manufacturing project that reduces excess production. Customers can choose from two styles, both made from 100% organic cotton, and customise their garment with a variety of print, text and sticker options. All products in this project are manufactured in a nearshore production facility, cutting delivery times to two or three days upon order and reducing unnecessary emissions.

"On-demand enables us to produce just the right amount, based on customer demand, reducing unnecessary production and therefore unsold product,”  said Laura Coppen, Circular/Sustainable Business Development at H&M Group’s Laboratory. “A reusable packaging system makes sense for us to test as we are also sending items directly from the factory to customers. We will continue to iterate on our learnings as we go, whilst building new capabilities into our supply chain.”

She added: “We want to ensure that all our tests are heading the industry in the right direction, towards a more sustainable and circular future, that’s why we start small, evaluate the successes and scale smartly. We see on-demand as a great opportunity to be sustainable yet profitable. Reusable packaging is a very interesting case, and we’re curious to see how our customers react to a new offer."