You might notice something different the next time an Arrow order arrives.
We've switched to POLLAST!C™ packaging from Better Packaging Co., giving plastic pollution that already exists and new purpose while helping us make a more considered choice about the packaging we use.
It's another practical step in our ongoing focus on sustainability and reducing waste across the uniform journey.
Why we've changed our packaging
Packaging plays an important role in keeping garments clean and protected while they're sorted, handled and delivered to our customers.
But with the volume of plastic waste generated around the world, we also think it's important to consider where our packaging comes from and what happens to it afterwards.
That's what led us to POLLAST!C™.
Rather than relying on newly produced plastic, POLLAST!C packaging it made using recycled Ocean Bound Plastic pollution collected from coastal communities throughout Southeast Asia.
For us, it means the packaging protecting our garments can also help put existing plastic waste to better use.
Turning plastic pollution into something useful
The plastic used to make POLLAST!C comes from areas where access to formal waste management can be limited.
To qualify as potential Ocean Bound Plastic, the material must be at risk of being abandoned, located in an area without formal waste management infrastructure and found within 50 kilometres of a coastline.
Through the POLLAST!C programme, this discarded material is collected before being recycled into new packaging products.
There's a human element to the programme too. Better Packaging Co. works with communities in these areas and purchases the plastic that is collected, providing an income stream for people involved in recovering the material.
So rather than producing another piece of packaging entirely from new plastic, an existing waste material gets another useful life.
What about the carbon footprint?
The environmental impact of packaging goes beyond what it's made from.
According to Better Packaging Co., an independent Life Cycle Analysis found that POLLAST!C mailers have a significantly lower CO₂ footprint than traditional plastic mailers and even 100% recycled paper alternatives.
It's one of the reasons we saw POLLAST!C as a worthwhile change - particularly when packaging is something we use every day to get uniforms safely from us to our customers.
Part of a bigger sustainability journey
At Arrow, we know there isn't one single solution to making uniforms more sustainable.
It means looking at the entire uniform journey and identifying where we can me better choices – from the fabrics and garments we offer, through to how uniforms are managed, reused and eventually dealt with at the end of their useful life.
Packaging is another part of that picture.
Switching to POLLAST!C doesn't eliminate from our packaging, but it does mean we can make use of plastic pollution that has already been created rather than relying solely on new material.
It's a practical change, and one we're excited to have made.
Your packaging can keep going, too
When your next Arrow order arrives in POLLAST!C packaging, reuse it if you can.
Once you've finished with it, POLLAST!C can be recycled through soft-plastic or plastic-bag recycling where those services are available. Better Packaging Co. recommends checking the recycling options available in your local area.
You might also notice that the packaging looks or feels a little different. Because it's made from recycled plastic pollution, some POLLAST!C products can have small imperfections, a slight grey tinge or a different texture from conventional plastic packaging.
We think that's a pretty good reminder of where it came from.
Small changes can add up
For something that usually gets very little attention, packaging has an important role to play.
Our switch to POLLAST!C is one more way we're looking beyond the uniform itself and considering the resources used throughout its journey to you.
So when your next Arrow delivery arrives, take a closer look at the packaging. What's now protecting your uniforms started out as plastic pollution – and has been given another purpose.
Want to know more?
Learn more about POLLAST!C and how Better Packaging Co. is turning plastic pollution into packaging at Better Packaging Co.