Fashion marketplace The Iconic is developing a new certified recycled content shipping box with its preferred packaging vendors in a bid to rectify its sustainable packaging target.
It comes as the marketplace missed its 2023 packaging target by 5.3 per cent, according to its parent company Global Fashion Group’s latest sustainability report. This was reportedly due to logistics and cost issues in the supply chain for recycled content shipping boxes.
“While The Iconic met its internal target for directly procured packaging through our use of satchels, polybags and boxes made from recycled content, our overall target for sustainable packaging was impacted through challenges faced by Own Brand suppliers who indirectly source our packaging,” a spokesperson for The Iconic said.
“We have successfully worked with our Own Brand supply partners to support increased usage of packaging made from certified recycled content, however, in the case of shipping boxes, due to logistics and cost issues, suppliers have faced challenges ordering from our preferred packaging vendors (PPVs).
“To address this, we are developing a new certified recycled content shipping box with our PPV that will be made available and more accessible for our Own Brand suppliers. This new shipping box will have additional capability to be utilised as storage at The Iconic’s fulfilment centre, which will help reduce the overall amount of packaging used in our operations.
Across GFG - which also manages Zalora marketplace in Southeast Asia and Dafiti in Latin America - the group achieved 83 per cent more sustainable packaging materials against its 2023 target of 86 per cent.
In 2024, the group will focus on eliminating excess packaging where possible, designing packaging for optimal recycling infrastructure in different regions and exploring plastic alternatives.
The Iconic spokesperson said there is still much work to be done in reducing its packaging footprint.
In one case, they said the marketplace - like other retailers - continues to face challenges as a result of the lack of soft plastics recycling capacity in Australia. The spokesperson noted that this didn’t impact its sustainable packaging target.
“We are actively working with other retailers and the broader industry to try and drive positive change in this space. It’s something that's important to us, and we know it’s something that is important to both our customers and brand partners.”