A majority of senior executives at fashion brands and retailers in the UK, US and Australia plan to stop using plastic in packaging according to a new report.
Survey data from PureProfile which was commissioned by polymer materials manufacturer Aquapak, showed plastic use ranked third in the top factors impacting the environmental performance of their business, with only the energy efficiency of operations and the sourcing of merchandise which uses sustainable materials rated more important.
The research also revealed that of the steps taken to reduce the amount of plastic packaging used, 77% of participating businesses have folded items differently, 59% have removed unnecessary types of packaging and 46% have changed the packaging type.
Key takeaways
Mark Lapping, Aquapak CEO, comments: “Our study shows that there is a commitment at the highest level in the fashion industry to stop using plastic.
Brands and retailers are already taking steps to reduce their dependency on plastic packaging, but the pace of change could be much faster.
"New materials exist which perform in exactly the same way as plastic, providing garment and merchandise protection but do not have any of the environmental problems associated with it.
The report was based on a survey sample of 100 board-level and senior executives, including CEOs, Retail Directors, Chief Operating Officers, Sustainability Directors and Finance Directors, in the UK, US and Australia conducted in November 2023
