Sustainable Packaging
We believe that reducing our reliance on single-use plastics and eliminating unnecessary plastic in our products and packaging helps to mitigate land-based sources of plastic pollution. In 2022, we initiated efforts to decrease the use of poly bags in our product packaging through three main methods.
Poly Bag-Free Shipping
By the end of 2023, around 70% of AFTCO styles were roll-packed or flat-folded without poly bags.
Certain products like the Transformer Packable Fishing Jacket were ideal for poly bag-free shipping as they can be stashed in their own pocket. For other items that require packaging, we've implemented roll-packing to contain the product during shipping.
Roll Packing
Many AFTCO styles are roll-packed and shipped without poly bags. This method involves neatly rolling the product and securing it with a small paper band. We utilize FSC-Certified and recyclable paper bands for this purpose. This approach offers dual benefits: it eliminates single-use plastics and provides customers with the convenient option to recycle the packaging curbside.
Poly Bag Size Reduction
While we continue to explore solutions for the remaining AFTCO styles still shipped with poly bags, we've implemented an additional fold to reduce the overall size of our poly bags. This measure alone has enabled us to reduce our output volume of single-use plastic by 48%.
The Responsible Packaging Movement
We've set goals to make major shifts towards responsible packaging. That's why we've joined prAna's Responsible Packaging Movement to help get us there.
When you place an order at aftco.com, your items will arrive in POLLAST!C™ packaging made from 100% ocean bound plastic pollution.
Progress Towards Poly Bag-Free Packaging
In 2021, we identified AFTCO products utilizing plastic packaging and established a plan for transitioning to alternative materials. By 2023, we had reduced our poly bag volume by approximately 50%. While we have been actively testing alternative packaging methods, we are still ironing out some details. Our aim was to achieve 100% poly bag-free status by 2025. Although we've made significant progress, it seems unlikely we'll meet this goal.
As an interim measure to address the poly bags in our facilities, AFTCO invested in an in-house baler. Poly bags and other soft plastics often pose recycling challenges due to their non-recyclable nature at standard facilities. The baler enables us to compact these materials into bales for transport to specialized recycling facilities.
While recycling alone won't solve the plastic problem, we view it as a crucial step forward as we continue our efforts to eliminate poly bags from our supply chain.
