A staggering 88 per cent of fashion firms and allied retailers in the UK, US, and Australia want to phase out plastic packaging entirely within the next five years. Aquapak Polymers, a specialist in polymer-based material innovations, interviewed 100 top industry leaders.
Approximately 8 per cent intend to eliminate plastic over the next 12 months, 14 per cent within one to two years, 19 per cent during two to three years, 30 per cent within three to four years, and a further 28 per cent within four to five years.
The effort comes as 48 per cent of respondents indicated they are “extremely concerned” about their company’s usage of polybags such as carrier and garment bags, the bulk of which are used for online purchases, and the environmental damage they do. According to the worldwide innovation initiative Fashion for Good, the fashion sector utilises around 180 billion polybags every year.
According to the research, plastic consumption placed third among the top issues influencing their company’s environmental performance, trailing only energy efficiency and the procurement of items made from sustainable resources.
The study also found that of the efforts taken to minimize the quantity of plastic packaging used, 77 per cent folded goods differently, 59 per cent removed redundant forms of packaging, and 46 per cent modified the packaging type.
Mark Lapping, CEO of Aquapak, stated, “Our analysis demonstrates that there is a high degree of dedication in the fashion sector to cease using plastic. Brands and retailers are already making efforts to minimize their reliance on plastic packaging, but the speed of change might be considerably faster. New materials exist that behave identically to plastic, giving clothing and product protection while avoiding the environmental issues connected with it.”
