How Dope Snow’s paper packaging eliminates plastic waste and emissions
Over the last few years, we’ve worked tirelessly to make our packaging as kind to the planet as possible. So, let’s take a look at how we swapped plastic for our Dope Snow paper packaging.
Plastic waste ending up in our oceans, rivers, and just everywhere, really, is an ever-growing problem. And it’s one we’re keen not to add to! So,we tackled ways to remove plastic from the majority of our packaging. It took a lot of time, testing, and Tetris, but we finally found a way.
Eliminating plastic waste from our packaging is part of our wider commitment to help sustain the winters we all love. Curious to know more? Read on to find out how we successfully shifted from plastic to paper packaging.
Reflecting on our processes
In 2020, Linus, our co-founder, read an article about packaging and became inspired. From there, he challenged us to dive deeper into our packaging process. However, this wasn’t a case of declaring paper is ‘good’ and plastic is ‘bad’. Instead, we embarked on a scientific journey, evaluating a range of materials, life-cycle assessments (LCAs), and how, when, and where specific packaging elements are produced.
We also scoured multiple research papers, learned from other brands, and explored the effects of pollution and CO2-eq (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions. We also wanted to free customers from the responsibility of recycling plastic. So, we studied recycling availability alongside consumer habits and new technologies.
Assessing materials
Paper is a fairly planet-friendly packaging choice, right? Especially compared to plastic… We thought so. However, through closer inspection, we discovered that most commercially viable sources of paper packaging often contribute to deforestation. Plus, many sources ship paper long distances from outside the US or the EU, which results in higher transport emissions and greater ecological impact.
We also looked at cardboard. However, when assessing 100 orders in plastic bags versus 100 in cardboard boxes, it was clear that cardboard takes up much more space and requires a larger number of shipments, generating higher overall emissions. What about biodegradable, water-soluble plastic packaging then? This seemed promising, but the production consumes tons of energy, and the finished material isn’t typically recyclable. Luckily, we had a ‘eureka’ moment…
Partnering with Billerud
We discovered Billerud, a Swedish company that creates thin yet highly protective paper bags to package cement. Billerud uses Nordic forest management practices, holds FSC certification, and, thanks to its Swedish location, partnering with them significantly reduced transport emissions compared to suppliers located further away.
Through an in-depth life-cycle assessment, we also discovered that a Billerud paper mailing bag results in 62-68% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than our previous recycled plastic option. As such, it was a no-brainer to replace our recycled LDPE bags with Billerud’s innovative invention.
Delivering zero plastic to customers
We still had a dilemma around the in-bag packaging, which protects items. After much brainstorming, we switched from packing items in our branded LDPE ziplock bags to thinner, unbranded bags. This swap resulted in an estimated 32% reduction in plastic. Our warehouse also removes these unbranded bags, ensuring 100% are sent for recycling or reuse.
From our warehouse to our customers, we then package the item in a paper sleeve. This means zero plastic packaging reaches Dope Snow buyers!
Folding, learning, and moving forward
Emil, our co-founder and Linus’s brother, teamed up with Elin, our CEO, to develop the ‘Tetris Project’: five new ways of folding larger items (such as jackets and snow pants). This compact packing method maintains the structure of items without a bag and avoids the need to send multiple parcels for the same order. Ultimately, this results in fewer trips and less environmental impact.
The changes to our packaging helped us save 10 tons of plastic (about 22,000 lbs) in the year 2023 alone.
Dope Snow
Over 90% of our packaging is now plastic-free. But our team constantly explores additional solutions tailored to local markets. And we always listen to our customers’ feedback and suggestions to keep improving. At Dope Snow, we’re committed to reducing our impact while still delivering high-performing, stylish snow gear straight to your door.
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