Plastic Free July: Brand alternatives to plastic materials and packaging are on the rise

Toms has incorporated recycled formerly-ocean-bound plastics into its production process since 2020. It’s done so through a partnership with Repreve, which supplies recycled fiber made from post-consumer plastic bottles sourced from areas within 30 miles of coastlines. Toms regularly promotes these efforts on social media, including through a #WearGood campaign that ran in May, and its e-commerce site. Repreve also works with Tiffany & Co., H&M and Quiksilver.

“The largest challenges [related to our plastics initiatives] are research and development and finding trusted suppliers,” said Amy Smith, chief brand officer at Toms. “Repreve provides transparency and documentation for the fibers we created with them, which is important. They have Global Recycled Standard and OceanCycle certifications.” The brand declined to share how much it is investing in the partnership.

“Toms takes great care to ensure that, as we develop new materials, they meet our standards for look, feel and [durability],” she said.

And challenges abound with alternative materials. “The largest challenge is the diversification of fibers that we use in our products,” said Smith. “We have some signature materials [like cotton and hemp] that would not be able to be replicated with recycled ocean-bound plastics. At this moment, we have not had any issues with durability [with the ocean-bound plastic material].”

According to Unifi data, the use of Repreve post-consumer yarn reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 42%, fossil fuel depletion by up to 66% and water scarcity by up to 76%, when compared to the use of virgin polyester.

Along with products made from plastics, plastic packaging is also a problem, with 180 billion single-use poly bags reportedly used per year. These protect items in transit, but are typically discarded and unrecyclable. Increasingly, brands are leveraging alternatives like packaging materials made from seaweed, which can replicate the look, durability and feel of plastic. 

Burton, known for its snowboards and snow apparel, is looking at ways to replace some of its single-use plastic packaging with seaweed-based solutions this year. This has been achievable through partnerships with ocean health non-profit Lonely Whale and fashion brand Tom Ford, via the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Accelerator, powered by Lonely Whale that launched in October 2023. For now, Burton is testing the material for shipping its snowboards, the brand’s top seller. Burton declined to comment on the involved investment.

“We’re still very much in the research and development phase of this,” said Mitch Rovito, Burton’s packaging manager. “We have a complicated supply chain, with snowboards shipping from multiple countries through multiple distribution centers. We’re focusing on the material itself and seeing if it can survive our environment while trying to understand how we can plug it in with the fewest disruptions possible.”

He added, “We need the new material to be transparent, protect the product, hold markings, and comply with trade and legal requirements.”

Burton’s product reaches over 40 countries through direct dealers, wholesale partners, flagship stores and regional e-commerce. Each country has a different recycling infrastructure, so the aim is to define a material that will both be effective and globally compliant.

Florence, a modern outdoor brand founded by two times world champion and Olympian surfer John Florence has also started testing seaweed-based plastic packaging, beginning in January, working with Sway, which won the first place prize. “The goal is to demonstrate the impact of seaweed as an alternative to thin-film plastic so other brands will follow suit,” said Bruce Moore, director of innovation and sustainability at Florence.

“We had a focus group to discuss their first impression of the packaging, its integrity and the overall experience,” said Moore. “The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we made the decision to wrap a new limited-edition collection in the packaging as an added layer of specialness for our customers.” The collection sold out within 24 hours of its launch, with customer feedback showing demand for more seaweed packaging.

For Florence, cost is still the biggest hurdle when it comes to the wide-scale implementation of plastic alternatives. “As more brands continue to adopt these solutions and scale, the cost will begin to decrease,” said Moore.