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Send your old clothes in a Tesco bag? Sure! We do things differently here at Reskinned. Unlike other takeback schemes, we recycle everything ourselves, we sort stock by hand to make sure nothing ends up in the recycling bin that could be reused, and encourage you to send back your items in any random packaging you have at home.
We’ve got all the info on how to package your Reskinned takeback sustainably and the steps we take to make sure our packaging is as environmentally friendly as possible.
Packaging plays an important role in society, especially now that so much of our shopping is being done online.
Most of the time the packaging that brands use gets thrown away once we receive our purchase - meaning a lot of plastic ending up in landfill. Not to mention the extra carbon emissions that come from making all that plastic packaging to keep up with our orders… eek!
That’s why we made a commitment to minimise our impact on the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling our packaging materials.
Read about how to shop sustainably, and check out our post on responsible recycling and what that actually means.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PACKAGING (AND HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED RECENTLY)
It’s hard to imagine our caveman ancestors using packaging, but it’s actually been a part of our civilization since ancient times. Traditionally, natural materials like leaves and animal hides would have been used to wrap things up and transport them.
Nowadays, we can’t imagine a package made from leaves holding up in our postage service, but the idea is nice!
Packaging progressed to glass, paper and even metal during the industrial revolution, and as we started buying more stuff, packaging needed to evolve with the times. Things started being posted from further away, meaning we had to come up with solutions to get our parcels from A to B in one piece, without it costing a fortune.
Fast forward to today, and the rise of the fast fashion industry and next-day-delivery. Packaging had to go into turbo-drive, and that means that the waste that it’s generating has done the same.
We’ve all received those fast fashion packages that have excessive layers of plastic bag upon plastic bag, bubble wrap and tissue paper, which end up in the bin, never to be thought of again.
That’s why it’s uber-important for companies like ours to find sustainable solutions that make packaging your orders as eco-friendly as possible. That means using biodegradable materials through and through, and encouraging you guys to reuse old packaging when you send us your takeback.
WHY DON’T WE PROVIDE BRANDED BAGS FOR YOU TO RETURN LIKE OTHER PLATFORMS?
The world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year. Plastic production, use and disposal contributes about 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 40% of plastic produced is packaging, used just once and then discarded. (WRAP).
Let that sink in.
Quite simply, why would we make our own? We believe that reuse should come above all else. If you’ve got something you can use to package your takeback at home, what would be the point in us producing, branding and sending you packages just so we can have our logo on them? Plus, you have to consider the extra carbon emissions sending you branded packaging would contribute.
The maths just isn’t mathing.
WE WANT IT TO FEEL EASY…
That’s why we encourage you to use and reuse anything you have at home to send us your takeback. Producing our own packaging would look nice, but it goes against our values. We put the environment before brand stamping, and we don’t want you to have to wait a week just to receive a parcel before you can send back your clothes. By using what you have at home, you can get clothes to us quickly and easily.
Most importantly, how would we keep our warehouse team entertained without your wacky choices of makeshift packaging?
WHAT CAN I SEND MY TAKEBACK CLOTHES IN?
You can send your takeback clothes, shoes and accessories in anything, and we truly mean anything.
If it can get to us in one piece, then you’re good to go.
Ideally we want you to reuse packaging you can find at home. Standard packages are all good, but we’re also happy to accept items returned in branded packages. Plastic or paper, cardboard boxes or envelopes, we’re seriously not picky when it comes to packaging. Raid your recycling bin and we’ll bet you’ll find something usable to package your takeback parcel. We’ve had parcels come to us in binbags, plastic grocery bags, envelopes from other brands, and even two different kinds of packaging stuck together. If it’s something that would otherwise end up in the bin, then it’s something you should use.
Please ensure that you secure your parcel carefully though! If it needs a bit of extra tape then don’t hold back, we want to make sure it gets to us in one piece!
Reuse is what we’re all about.
WHAT CONDITION DOES MY PARCEL NEED TO BE IN?
We are pretty flexible when it comes to how parcels look, but we ask that the clothes are kept safe and secure. We don’t care if the parcel is a bit beaten up as long as it’s been taped and will get to us in one piece.
Feel free to use whatever you have at home but please ensure that your clothes won’t arrive in poorer condition than you sent them. Basically, maybe don’t send us anything in an old sandwich wrapper.
WHAT IS THE MOST RANDOM THING WE HAVE BEEN SENT CLOTHES BACK IN?
We’ve pretty much seen it all. We get a surprising number of items returned in supermarket plastic bags which seems to work effectively. If you do choose to use something that isn’t traditionally used for postal deliveries, please ensure you secure it tightly.
WILL WE EVER OFFER BRANDED RETURNS BAGS?
Never say never but this isn’t something we are considering at the moment. We think the way we’re doing things works well for us and, most importantly, for you. If we were ever to launch our own returns bags we would do it with integrity. That means that a lot of thought would go into the choice of materials, how to keep carbon emissions low and it would be in response to a clear customer feedback. As things stand, you all seem pretty happy with how things are and if you’re happy, we’re happy.
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR PACKAGING IMPACT?
Enough about us, we’re all about helping you reduce your impact. There are a few easy ways that you can make a difference when you’re shopping online.
- Choose brands and companies that align with your values. Shopping with brands like Reskinned that prioritise sustainable practices and use materials that are recyclable, biodegradable or reusable.
- Be a conscious shopper. We’re not saying buy nothing new ever, but we are suggesting taking time to shop consciously. That means avoiding impulse purchases, buying what you need and what you’re really going to wear.
- Bulk buy. If you know you need a lot of something, it makes sense to make purchases less often, but buy more things in one go. That way you limit the individual packaging.
- Recycle your packaging. Check your local recycling to make sure you’re disposing of your packaging materials the right way to maximise their recycling potential.
- Be an advocate for change. If your favourite brand sends out plastic packaging, send them an email to ask them to switch to a more environmentally friendly option. The more people voice their concerns, the more we can make real change.
Packaging can be a big polluter, but the good news is that it’s relatively easy for it to be more sustainable. At Reskinned, we recognise the importance of minimising packaging waste, and have found sustainable solutions to make sure we’re doing our bit.
Now the question is: What are you going to send your takeback in?
Why don’t we provide branded bags for you to return like other platforms?
The world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year. Plastic production, use and disposal contributes about 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 40% of plastic produced is packaging, used just once and then discarded. (WRAP)
Let that sink in.
Quite simply, why would we make our own? We believe that reuse should come above all else. If you’ve got something you can use at home, what would be the point in us producing, branding and sending you packages just so we can have our logo on them? Plus, you have to consider the extra carbon emissions sending you branded packaging would contribute. The maths just isn’t matching.
We want it to feel easy…
That’s why we encourage you to use and reuse anything you have at home. Producing our own packaging would look nice, but it goes against our values. We put the environment before brand stamping, and we don’t want you to have to wait a week just to receive a parcel before you can send back your clothes. By using what you have at home, you can get clothes to us quickly and easily.
Most importantly, how would we keep our warehouse team entertained without your whacky choices of makeshift packaging?
What can I send my takeback clothes in?
Anything, and we truly mean anything. If it can get to us in one piece, then you’re good to go. Ideally we want you to reuse anything you can find at home. Standard packages are all good, but we’re also happy to accept items returned in branded packages. Please ensure that you secure your parcel carefully. If it needs a bit of extra tape then don’t hold back. Reuse is what we’re all about.
What condition does my parcel need to be in?
We are flexible but we ask that the clothes are kept safe and secure. We don’t care if the parcel is a bit beaten up as long as it’s been taped and will get to us in one piece. Feel free to use whatever you have at home but please ensure that your clothes won’t arrive in poorer condition than you sent them. Basically, maybe don’t send us anything in an old sandwich wrapper.
What is the most random thing we have been sent clothes back in?
We’ve pretty much seen it all. We get a surprising number of items returned in supermarket plastic bags which seems to work effectively. If you do choose to use something that isn’t traditionally used for postal deliveries, please ensure you secure it tightly.
Will we ever offer branded returns bags?
Never say never but this isn’t something we are considering at the moment. We think the way we’re doing things works well for us and, most importantly, for you. If we were ever to launch our own returns bags we would do it with integrity. That means that a lot of thought would go into the choice of materials, how to keep carbon emissions low and it would be in response to a clear customer feedback. As things stand, you all seem pretty happy with how things are and if you’re happy, we’re happy.
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