Play-by-play: How we make shipping our swag more sustainable
From offsetting our carbon emissions to encouraging customers opt for slow shipping, we're doing everything we can to find more sustainable ways of creating, storing and sending merch.
Sustainability is becoming an ever more important consideration for larger companies whose corporate strategy will include developing their ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles. This means taking measures to lower pollution, CO2 output, and reduce waste.
But it's a smart approach not just for larger operations, but for anyone doing business in 2023. If more businesses with focus on sustainabiliy prioritize doing business like-minded companies, sustainable practices will become part and parcel of every business and that's crucial for the health and prosperity of our planet. The stakes are pretty high!
Sustainability is at the heart of it all, from our manufacturing process to the way we design our swag. How we get the product from our factories to your front door is perhaps the most crucial part of the jigsaw when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.
After we have taken your order, mapped out a design everybody is happy with and sent out a sample for you to try (all with zero waste, we would add), it's time for shipping the finished product. While there was a time when "good shipping" meant getting it from A to B in as little time as possible, the aspect of our eco-friendly shipping that we are the most proud of is that we are able to say that we offset every single mile.
Slow shipping as a greener alternative
With the myriad of different responsibilities that come with running a business, or even being responsible for a team within a business, it can be easy to overlook our unseen impact on the environment. Even when we choose the most sustainable products made from renewable or recycled material and (rightly) feel this is making a difference, how the product is ship is going to play a major part in the size of the carbon footprint.
We always try to find the most sustainable materials and fabrics for our swag, from our bucket hats and Christmas sweaters to notebooks and water bottles. We've been able to employ plenty of different techniques that help cut down our overall emissions and protect the environment, but it doesn't change the fact that shipping goods around the world (we deliver worldwide) is going to present challenges for reducing carbon emissions.
According to research by the European Federation for Transport and Environment, shipping is responsible for about 10% of global transport CO2 emissions. With it being such a considerable source of carbon emissions, looking for better alternatives is something we are always exploring.
Something we really try to encourage all of our customers to consider, whenever possible, is opting for slow shipping when ordering their swag. While it's understandable that you want to get your hands on it as quickly as possible (especially when you've got an event or seasonal deadline approaching), good things do in fact come to those who wait.
Forward planning is the key. We offer big discounts to customers who opt for slow eco-friendly shipping, meaning your company can save a considerable amount of money in comparison to the express option. fantastic as this is for your bottom line, it is even more beneficial to the environment.
It means that when delivering your swag, we can opt for the most sustainable and environmentally friendly option possible. That is something that makes us happy because it means that all parties involved in the transaction are making decisions that put the environment first.
Carbon offsetting our shipping
Offsetting carbon emissions created by shipping is one of our top priorities. We offset all of our shipping, with it being a huge part of our efforts to become an even more sustainable company than we already are.
Regardless of the shipping options our customers select, be it sustainable slow shipping or otherwise, we want to make sure every ounce of it is offset. We have been able to plant more than 40,000 trees with Eden Reforestation Project this year alone. One of the world's leading organisations in protecting the planet and making the lives of its people that little bit better, every single day they are able to work with likeminded people to plant nearly one million trees.
We fully understand that this level of dedication to sustainability isn't unique to us, but it's impossible to overstate the importance and effectiveness of the work completed by Eden. To find out more about the work Eden Reforestation Project is involved in across the globe, you can head to their website here.
If you would like to find even more likeminded sustainable companies, from dry bulk owners to investment companies, you can check out our list of 10 companies who are investing in reforestation efforts.
A look ahead to '23 - Merch Stores
There's a sustainability virtuous circle when it comes to shipping and it looks like this: If you can forward plan your merch requirements, it allows you to select slower shipping on your merch fulfillment, which in turn saves you money on your merch spend, which in turn makes your merch procurement practices more sustainable, which in turn affords you more money to spend on efficiency and better planning and on we go. It's not about creating positive PR it's about saving your company money and investing the savings in make your company smarter and more efficient.
All of this is made more achievable by building your very own Merch Store - a place where you can easily create, store and send merch through your own app. It's going to make planning and managing your merch 100x easier. And it's going to make your merch practices so much more sustainable as a result. We've already begun to build these stores for some of our customers and in 2023, you'll be hearing a lot more about Merch Stores.