United By Blue co-founder Mike Cangi never thought he鈥檇 be stocking the shelves of his outdoor apparel stores with toilet paper. But it was what his community needed at the start of the pandemic and the Philadelphia-based brand has always been driven by its community’s needs.

Almost overnight in March, United By Blue lost virtually its entire base of 1,200 wholesale accounts, says Cangi, noting that at the time wholesale was its primary sales channel. Not knowing that those accounts would eventually come back, Cangi and his team had to reinvent themselves in order to survive. Because the brand鈥檚 two stores had caf茅s with breakfast, lunch, and brunch menus, it used its connections to independent farms, cooperatives, and restaurant suppliers to transform the flagship store into a neighborhood mini market and takeout service. 鈥淸Our suppliers] had no customers all of a sudden because they were only selling to restaurants and a lot of the restaurants were closed,鈥� Cangi said. 鈥淭hey were overstocked with food and supplies in the same way we were overstocked with apparel.鈥�

Through the market concept, United By Blue customers could still order coffee and a breakfast sandwich to go and for delivery. Or they could shop the store for the deconstructed ingredients, such as eggs, bread, cheese, and other fresh, local, and organic foods. United By Blue also started selling recycled paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, and other supplies it could access through their network, even as traditional grocery stores experienced shortages.

One of its regular customers, an employee of Independence Blue Shield, the area鈥檚 Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance affiliate, took notice. She proposed partnering with United By Blue to create a grocery program so those same bags of fresh foods could reach seniors in the area who were in need. 鈥淧eople were saying how beautiful the groceries were,鈥� Cangi said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just a testament to the lack of access to fresh food.鈥�

What started as a four-week program grew to a six-week program. Then it grew again. United By Blue is now in its third round of programming and has made close to 15,000 deliveries of bags filled with fresh vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients. Cangi says at first, this new path for his business didn鈥檛 make much sense. But it allowed them to keep employees and almost replace the lost revenue from wholesale accounts, while also discovering a new way to enhance their core community-centric mission.

The unexpected partnership and opportunity, Cangi says, will be part of United By Blue鈥檚 business model in the future. In fact, he鈥檚 in conversation now with other insurance providers. 鈥淏eing a sustainable living brand has always been at our core,鈥� Cangi said, 鈥渁nd in order to live a sustainable lifestyle, food is a key part of that equation.鈥�

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The outdoor industry, more than most, is keenly aware of the effects of climate change and, in particular, the need to create greener supply chains. It鈥檚 the reason more than 377 outdoor brands have joined the Plastic Impact Alliance, committing to making our industry more sustainable by eradicating single-use plastic from their businesses.

Although everything from materials to manufacturing contributes to a company鈥檚 carbon footprint, it鈥檚 end-of-the-line packaging that really adds up and is often unable to be recycled curbside. Still, it鈥檚 arguably one of the easiest things to change and make more sustainable (not to mention, it serves as a significant touchpoint with customers, especially as ecommerce continues to trend upwards).

Only about 9 percent of all plastic waste is currently recycled and as such, single-use plastic packaging accounts for nearly half the plastic waste found in nature. In August, prAna, an early member of the Plastic Impact Alliance and a leader in sustainable, outdoor fashion, announced the Responsible Packaging Movement, a program designed to create industry-wide change. Since 2010, prAna has successfully eliminated more than 17 million polybags from the supply chain and its new initiative takes it a step further by collaborating with other industry brands.

In line with the Plastic Impact Alliance and prAna鈥檚 mission of sharing knowledge and transforming the industry together, we鈥檝e compiled this list as a resource for outdoor brands.聽From mailers to labels, protective wrapping to polybags, here are five companies out to revolutionize how we package and ship products. The first three innovations on this list were recent winners of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition聽2020 Protective Packaging Design Challenge.

Returnity

The Product

Chrysalis is a reusable shipping bag designed to replace poly-mailers and reusable shipping boxes.

How It Works

Brands work with Returnity to design mailbags that, once used for shipping, can be flipped inside out by the customer and transformed into a tote, duffle, or makeup bag. The boxes are made for companies engaged in a circular shipping model.

鈥淥ur view is that companies will not scale the use of reusables if it doesn’t make sense financially, so we enable them to make the switch by making it cost-effective,鈥� said Returnity CEO Michael Newman.

Returnity believes its packaging creates perfect social media moments once in the customer鈥檚 hands.

鈥淚n addition to cardboard boxes and poly-mailer bags being wasteful, they鈥檙e just boring,鈥� said Newman. 鈥淔or so many retailers, this is the one physical touch point they have with the consumer. When you ship something in a reusable package, consumers take notice and love it.鈥�

Environmental Credentials

All bags and boxes are made from recycled plastic bottles. Returnity is also working with a household name in outdoor fabric to turn used or deadstock fabrics鈥攖hings that may have failed color matching or quality control and might otherwise be landfilled鈥攊nto reusable shipping bags. Additionally, all of Returnity鈥檚 boxes have a layer of rigid plastic in between them, meaning they outperform cardboard in terms of strength, durability, and product protection. Returnity guarantees its packaging for 40 shipments and will even take products back from clients at the end of their life span in order to handle the recycling of the material.

Applications for the Outdoor Industry

Returnity鈥檚 willingness to work with brands on a case-by-case basis means its industry applications are endless. Although the company鈥檚 model is similar to LimeLoop, which is used by Toad & Co, it differs in the respect that its reusable packaging isn鈥檛 leased.

鈥淚’m super proud of our ability to adapt our reusables in a way that makes sense for almost any product,鈥� said Newman. 鈥淭he thing that we鈥檙e working on now is really enabling systems, so that if your company isn鈥檛 inherently circular we鈥檙e able to help you get there.鈥�

Returnity counts O鈥橮ros Fly Fishing and Camp Rents among its current clients. In the coming weeks they will add a yet-to-be-name gear rental company plus another big name in outdoor apparel.

Mushroom Packaging

The Product

High-performing packaging made from hemp and mycelium that resembles pulp packaging or an egg carton, and easily could replace similar plastic versions as well. Additionally, it鈥檚 cost competitive, thermally insulating, and water resistant.

How It Works

Every piece of Mushroom Packaging (powered by Evocative Design) is custom designed, using CAD software, and grown in just seven days. The product is a living material and spends four days in its tray before being removed to grow for two more days, and finally, dried for one to disable future growth.

Environmental Credentials

Mushroom Packaging takes just 30 days to break down in a home compost, no industrial composting required. (It takes 180 days in a marine compost.) Consumers simply have to break the packaging into small pieces and place it outside in the soil, allowing nutrients to return to the earth. Additionally, the trays used to grow the packaging are reused hundreds of times.

Applications for the Outdoor Industry

Mushroom Packaging has distribution centers in the U.S., Europe, Oceania, and the U.K. Paradise Packaging, located in California, is the main hub for growth and distribution across the U.S. and does have some standard shapes available. Incredibly versatile and with custom options available, this packaging could be used on everything from ski goggles to fly rods, from solar lights to camping stoves, or anything that benefits from a more rigid form of packaging.

Flexi-Hex

The Product

A range of plastic-free packaging solutions made from recycled cardboard that use a honeycomb design and are ideal for replacing bubble wrap.

How It Works

The hexagonal cellular structure of Flexi-Hex means it can wrap a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials, including glass. Flexi-Hex Air is a lighter, tissue paper-based packaging ideal for smaller, fragile objects.

Environmental Credentials

Flexi-Hex鈥檚 mission is simple: remove plastic from the packaging industry and raise awareness of the threats currently facing the world鈥檚 oceans. Flexi-Hex is nontoxic, reusable, biodegrades readily, and is made of 100 percent recycled cardboard. The company is also currently investigating bio-adhesives in order to remove its reliance on petroleum-based glue.

Although much more low-volume than its plastic counterparts, Flexi-Hex is still manufactured in China and shipped around the world (distribution accounts for the majority of its carbon footprint, although the company does purchase carbon offsets to compensate). Internally, every Flexi-Hex employee also gets a personalized carbon footprint report complete with recommendations on how they can improve things like their travel habits, diet, and home energy use. As of 2020, the company is carbon-negative according to conservation organization Mossy Earth.

Applications for the Outdoor Industry

Flexi-Hex can be used to protect surf boards, skis, snowboards, bikes, small electronics, water bottles, tent poles, sunglasses, helmets, oats, lanterns, coolers鈥攜ou get the idea.

Vela

The Product

A durable, paper polybag alternative, Vela bags are weather resistant and protect their contents from humidity, moisture, and dust.

How It Works

A product of family-owned Seaman Paper, a company that now focuses on lightweight paper solutions used in packaging, the Vela bag officially launched at the beginning of this month. Although the bag was designed with apparel companies in mind, it has potential beyond that.

鈥淲e’re in testing with lots of global apparel brands whose names you would know,鈥� said Seaman Paper鈥檚 VP of business development, Julie Skibniewski. 鈥淲hat’s been surprising to us is the non-apparel inquiries we’ve had from consumer products companies.鈥�

Environmental Credentials

Vela bags are made from paper, one of the most highly recyclable products in the world. What鈥檚 more, the Vela bag is made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified, sustainably harvested paper fibers; globally, FSC is considered the strongest system of forest management. Since Vela bags can be recycled four to six times, they also promote a circular economy where maximum value is extracted from raw material. Finally, Seaman has partnered with sustainable solutions firm South Pole to calculate the carbon footprint of producing Vela bags and to purchase corresponding carbon offsets.

Applications for the Outdoor Industry

In addition to prAna, the women鈥檚 fashion brand Mara Hoffman and sustainable clothing brand Outerknown are already using Vela bags. 鈥淭here鈥檚 really a limitless opportunity for Vela bags,鈥� said Skibniewski. 鈥淎nywhere you鈥檙e currently using plastic, you can use a Vela bag.鈥�

EcoEnclose

The Product

EcoEnclose, based in Louisville, Colorado, isn鈥檛 a new company but its product line is extensive鈥攆rom mailers to boxes, packing tape to hemp twine鈥攁nd constantly evolving. We particularly like their focus on shipping supplies, specifically zero-waste shipping labels, which the company claims are the world鈥檚 most eco-friendly.

How It Works

Companies can request free, individual samples of specific products or full sample kits. EcoEnclose has the capacity to serve companies of all sizes, whether you need 1,000 units or 5 million. Additionally, the majority of its products can be custom branded.

Environmental Credentials

EcoEnclose offers two types of zero-waste shipping labels, the first being 100 percent recycled white labels, compatible with laser and inkjet printers, which come on EcoEnclose鈥檚 100 percent recycled and curbside recyclable liners. The second option is direct thermal labels that are compatible with standard thermal printers, also on the Zero Waste Release Liner. There are also several tape options that are better than the typical plastic stuff, including Cello Carton Sealing Tape, which combines cellulose backing with a natural rubber adhesive, making it plant-based, renewable, and biodegradable.

By 2030, EcoEnclose hopes to be an 鈥渆cologically net positive鈥� company, meaning that its products, operations, and supply chain are a positive, regenerative force for the planet. The company has a comprehensive sustainable packaging framework and is committed to innovation.

Applications for the Outdoor Industry

EcoEnclose鈥檚 outdoor industry clients already include La Sportiva, United By Blue, Adidas, and Fj盲llr盲ven.

The post 5 Innovative Packaging Solutions That Can Help Your Company Kick Plastic appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If it鈥檚 not a big-box store and it鈥檚 not an independent specialty retailer, then what exactly is it?

REI Co-op defies easy definition. It鈥檚 a builder of brands and a risk to them. It competes with smaller shops around the country while throwing its weight around to protect recreation access and grow outdoor participation. It鈥檚 a powerhouse that holds influence over its partners, customers, and politicians. And it鈥檚 a profitable business that isn鈥檛 totally profit-driven: annually, it gives back millions of dollars to co-op members in the form of dividends, and reinvests millions more into industry causes. Still, in some ways, it鈥檚 also a bully.

Undeniably, REI鈥攚ith its 154-plus stores in 35 states and Washington, D.C., and six million members鈥攊s the big fish in the outdoor industry鈥檚 pond. And for every small retailer who bristles at yet another brand giving REI an out-of-the-gate exclusive on new gear, or company that feels compelled to target new products to an REI niche, there鈥檚 a brand hitting it big-time with the co-op鈥檚 help, or a nonprofit enjoying its largesse.

One thing鈥檚 for sure: the industry would be a very different place without it.

The Competitor

Independent retailers have always feared REI moving in next door, and that concern has deepened as the co-op targets smaller markets around the country. Case study: REI鈥檚 first New Hampshire location will open in North Conway, population 2,300, next fall.

Michael Scontsas, the manager of one of the last Eastern Mountain Sports stores, said he鈥檚 not sure what REI hopes to get out of North Conway, nor what to expect when EMS moves out of its current 20,000-square-foot building for a smaller footprint鈥攁nd REI moves into the space. (EMS announced its plans to downsize first.)

鈥淚t鈥檒l be interesting to see what happens because, you know, the pie is only so big here,鈥� Scontsas said. 鈥淭he other three gear stores are definitely going to feel an impact with REI coming to town.鈥�

But according to a statement REI provided to The Voice, it isn鈥檛 out to steal customers: the co-op opens stores where member bases already exist. 鈥淲hen we add a new store, we help impact the outdoors positively, which tends to float all boats,鈥� it noted, adding that REI invests in local communities where it has stores.

Rick Wilcox, president of North Conway-based International Mountain Equipment, doesn鈥檛 expect problems: 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 room for everybody if [we鈥檙e] careful about what [we] do.鈥� IME鈥檚 bread and butter includes specialty ice climbing gear that more generalist stores like REI don鈥檛 sell. That鈥檚 where problems start, he said鈥攚hen a generalist store tries to sell specialized gear its customers don鈥檛 want, and then floods the market with discounted goods.

Changing times play a role in retailer attitudes, too. 鈥淎 decade ago, REI was the number-one threat to mom-and-pop specialty retailers,鈥� said Ross Saldarini, co-founder of Mountain Khakis (he left in late 2018). 鈥淭oday, Amazon has replaced REI as the ecosystem threat.鈥�

The Gatekeeper

To keep its offerings fresh, REI tries to get in on the ground floor with new brands whenever possible鈥攁 game-changing boost for a fledgling company. Kuju Coffee landed in all REI shops in September 2018, when the brand was three years old. Co-founder Jeff Wiguna says selling at REI gives instant legitimization to a new brand like his: 鈥淭hey are essentially the industry authenticator,鈥� both to stores and consumers.

But that credibility has its price. To maintain its outdoor-focused product mix, REI requires brand partners to keep distribution tight鈥攚ithout much presence in big boxes or mass e-tailers.

鈥淲e draw the line at some stage鈥攊f [vendors] are ubiquitous, then that鈥檚 not specialty anymore,鈥� said REI general merchandishing manager Marshall Merriam. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we start to pull away and say, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 not the best thing for our members.鈥� So yes, we push them.鈥� That鈥檚 on Wiguna鈥檚 mind as he works to grow Kuju Coffee beyond the outdoor crowd.

REI was a huge boon to BioLite, too, which launched in 2012 and was scouted by REI while it was still selling direct-to-consumer only. When BioLite started distributing its CampStove in REI stores, it was too short-staffed to both manage the REI account and work to expand in independent shops. The company has grown exponentially since REI lifted them from obscurity, but co-founder and CEO Jonathan Cedar said the brand has found it challenging to break into specialty shops because they didn鈥檛 build the necessary relationships from the get-go.

鈥淚f I were to go back and do it again, I would probably put larger effort [on specialty retail] right out of the gate,鈥� Cedar said.

What REI wants, or might want, impacts the rest of the industry, too. Brands angling for a spot within REI often develop products with that goal in mind, said Grassroots Outdoor Alliance president Rich Hill, who has previously held executive titles at brands like prAna, Patagonia, Marmot, and Ibex. And they don鈥檛 just think, 鈥淲ill REI buy this?鈥� but, 鈥淲ill this specific buyer at REI want it?鈥�

鈥淚t gets down to that level,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淲ith clothing, is it technical or is it lifestyle? Which one of those departments will buy more? REI is a huge organization with tons of layers, and you have to be really specific when you go in there. People absolutely target their product development on the needs of REI.鈥�

United by Blue CEO Brian Linton acknowledges his brand considers REI鈥檚 needs in the design stage. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a significant player in the industry and an important part of our business,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e also very careful we don鈥檛 let that overly dictate our product strategy.鈥�

And Bill Gamber, co-founder of Big Agnes, said his brand鈥檚 partnership with REI is a bit of a balancing act. 鈥淩EI has been a great partner, and supported us early on,鈥� he said. 鈥淥n the other side, REI can tend to try to control the direction of your brand, product assortment, and more. We just need to fight for who we are sometimes.鈥�

The Changemaker

Because it鈥檚 so big ($2.62 billion in sales in 2017), REI has the budget to pack a lot of positive punch, like donating $1 million to create the Nature for Health program at the University of Washington in 2018; celebrating outdoor women of all sizes, skin colors, and ages with its Force of Nature campaign in 2017; and inventing the #Opt国产吃瓜黑料 movement in 2015.

The retailer is also in a position to make a huge environmental impact. Even as the industry publicly grapples with sustainability issues, brands aren鈥檛 facing many external pressures to do business more responsibly, either from legal standards or consumer demand.

But REI is stepping into this vacuum: in April 2018, the co-op announced product sustainability requirements for all vendor partners, including having a supply chain code of conduct regarding social and environmental standards. The co-op will also put the kibosh on long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (commonly used in DWR treatments) starting in 2020, as well as on certain toxic flame-retardant chemicals used in tents, and sunscreen products made with oxybenzone, a chemical found to be harmful to coral reefs. REI requires all apparel and footwear brand partners to regularly complete a Higg Index Brand Module to evaluate their sustainability, and share the results with REI.

鈥淲e want to make sure that we鈥檙e aligned with the science, and that we鈥檙e reflecting the way that the industry should be headed,鈥� said Greg Gausewitz, product sustainability manager for REI.

And many brands applaud the effort, even if it poses a challenge. Linton says the new standards are pushing United by Blue to address some issues, like Fair Trade and bluesign certification, sooner than it otherwise would have. 鈥淭he standards they鈥檝e set forth are by far the highest expectations we鈥檝e seen from any retailer,鈥� he noted. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important for key retailers to do these things, so the industry makes progress faster.鈥�

The Gateway

No one seems to dispute that one thing REI does better than most is broadening the outdoor base, converting more people into outdoor lovers by giving them an affordable entry into activities with high upfront costs. Not only do members enjoy dividends, special sales, annual 20-percent-off coupons, and access to garage sales, but REI鈥檚 in-house brand also offers products at a lower price point than many of its vendors.

That emphasis on affordability means that brands selling at the co-op should be wary of pricing, Hill said: REI can 鈥渓ove a brand to death.鈥� Once a brand gets to the point where its products are sold in all REI stores, the co-op may ask them to discount gear for its promotional periods. 鈥淎s brands participate more and more in the requested off-price activity, it can ruin the brand鈥攏ot within the industry, but within REI,鈥� Hill said, because customers quickly learn to expect discounts.

The Friendly Giant

鈥淲e should be thankful about [REI鈥檚] willingness to participate in the outdoor industry the way they do,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淭hey want us all to succeed. They do a lot of things that they don鈥檛 necessarily have to do, but they know it鈥檚 for the greater good. I give them credit for that.鈥�

And unlike companies that must hold market value above mindful business practices, REI鈥檚 co-op model offers it flexibility for taking stands on issues and making investments that shape the outdoor industry and recreation for all.

So imagine that there hadn鈥檛 been an REI these last 81 years. The industry might be without a household name that has, in turn, helped build other brands into household names. We might lack a major power player that has helped to influence public policy. And what other retailer would have both the influence and the freedom from shareholders to force advances in sustainability?

Maybe someone else would have evolved to take on these roles. Then again, maybe not.

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Whenever Outdoor Retailer rolls around, it puts tons of outdoor brands on our radar. We find the latest products and hottest trends. But it鈥檚 also a time to be inspired by the companies that are doing fantastic things. Check out these five brands doing good across the globe.

LifeStraw

LifeStraw launched in 2005 and was designed for people in developing countries who don鈥檛 have access to safe, clean water and for those dealing with natural disasters when the water is contaminated. The 鈥渟traw鈥� removes nearly all microbiological contaminants that make water unsafe to drink. LifeStraw鈥檚 Give Back program vows that for every LifeStraw purchased, a child in need receives safe water for an entire school year. So far, 1,015,652 students have been given clean water.

GoLite

GoLite is teaming up with the leading international relief organizations to manufacture medical uniforms and to start micro-enterprise programs that are empowering local communities around the world. While GoLite doesn鈥檛 officially launch until 2019, the brand has donated 12,000 uniforms to Medical Teams International health workers who are helping hundreds of thousands of refugees in Uganda.

United By Blue

Since opening in 2010, United By Blue has removed 1,046,530 pounds from oceans on the entire planet. For every product sold from their collaboration line with conservation group Lonely Whale, United by Blue will remove one pound of trash from the world鈥檚 waterways and oceans. In lieu of Black Friday, the company launched 鈥淏lue Friday鈥� in 2016 to encourage individuals to take one hour of their day to clean up neighborhoods or local parks. This summer, United by Blue is also embarking on a 鈥淏luemovement Road Trip鈥� where they鈥檒l host 21 cleanups with retail partners and volunteers.

MSR

MSR just launched the MSR聽Impact Project, which aims to accelerate the global health work they鈥檙e doing, including provide access to safe water for countries without it. Since 2015, MSR technologies have made safe water possible for more than 500,000 people. The company also hosts MSR 国产吃瓜黑料s for Impact for those wanting to take a trip to experience adventure while also devoting time in local communities to providing long-term solutions for water.

Biolite

BioLite creates affordable and durable items designed to cook, charge electronics, and light off-grid households by utilizing surrounding energy. The company works with partners across Africa and India to distribute clean energy products. To date, they have impacted almost 300,000 people worldwide. The BioLite BaseCamp generates electricity from fire, reduces smoke by 90 percent, and uses 50 percent less wood. The BioLite聽SolarHome 620聽generates electricity from the sun.

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