The packaging industry is responsible for 40% of all plastic pollution, and with the rise of e-commerce and online ordering, no sector can safely say they’re not part of the waste problem.

Australia’s e-commerce market is growing at a rate of 11.5% percent per year. It employs nearly 70,000 Australians and 49,000 businesses across the country, and it’s because 85% of us are now connected to the internet. Put simply, the e-commerce industry is booming, and it’s because it’s so convenient.

Online shopping is quick and easy – some online stores even offer same day delivery. We’re ‘so busy’ these days that we struggle to find the time to physically shop for all the things we need – to the point where we even have our food and groceries delivered.

In the past five years alone, our reliance on online shopping has doubled, and Australians spent nearly $22bn online last year, an increase of 19% from the year before.

While it’s great that we’re a country of progressive multi-taskers who save time by ordering everything online, we’ve been ignoring the elephant in the room. What’s happening to all that packaging?

The fashion industry is notorious for it; packaging is a crucial selling and branding tool for businesses, but once we've unpacked, unwrapped and opened our online orders, it all goes straight in the bin and heads to landfill.

To combat the environmental issues we face as an online retailer, we’re taking responsibility for our packaging, and within the next six months, The Fashion Advocate will be an entirely plastic-free e-commerce retailer.

We’ve teamed up with ‘No Issue’ to break down our packaging process and re-build a sustainable shipping system. Our choice of tissue paper is the first step towards a waste-free packaging solution, and it’s as sustainable as it gets.

It’s made from Forest Stewardship Council Certified paper.

It’s sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.

It’s acid-free, lignin-free and sulphur-free.

It’s printed with soy-based inks which are free from toxic chemicals and petroleum.

It’s 100% biodegradable and will safely break down when it enters landfill.

Sustainable and eco-friendly packaging is essential, and for any business or brand that sells online, it’s also a responsibility.

Stay tuned for the next phase of our packaging overhaul and in the meantime, check out www.noissue.co.﻿

The Fashion Advocate x



