How NIKIN saves packaging

How NIKIN saves packaging

In previous blog articles, we have discussed packaging in general. Now we would like to give some insights into how we deal with it internally. To do this, we visited the NIKIN product and purchasing team and did some research.

As a clothing brand, NIKIN requires packaging when purchasing articles as well as when selling products to customers. Analogous to the philosophy of NIKIN, to care for the environment and nature, we give a lot of thought to how we can avoid packaging. Both internally, but also in external purchasing and production. So that you can seehow we save resources, we talked to Priscila, head of the product team, and Robin, co-founder of NIKIN.

via GIPHY

 

The internal waste separation 

On the way to the office of the production and purchasing team, however, we first make a detour to the common room. There are stacked boxes for different types of waste. "We separate everything: glass, aluminium, paper, plastic and so on next. You have to make it easy for the employees, then it works great," comments co-founder Nicholas, whom we ask about it in the corridor. Arriving at the product team, everyone is already busy developing future collections. Priscila, head of the product team, nevertheless takes time for us.

NIKIN Blog: Priscila, do you always think about packaging and other types of resources when you design a new collection?
Priscila: Of course. For us, these things are important and are built into the development process from the beginning.

NIKIN only needs a plastic bag

NIKIN Blog: Can you give us an example?
Priscila: Normally, each garment comes from the manufacturer to the brand individually in a plastic bag. In other words, 100 T-shirts come in 100 plastic packages. We have solved this differently: our manufacturers stack the articles on top of each other in different directions per size. 100 T-shirts are in only one plastic bag during transport to us.

NIKIN Blog: That's quite an effort?
Priscila: For one thing, you first have to convince the manufacturers. They often say "Why?". They don't understand because no one else does it. If the items are stacked incorrectly, we have to sort them all individually by hand, check the sizes and put them back together nicely.

TreeShoe

NIKIN Blog: Where else does NIKIN save packaging?
Priscila: We don't pack anything extra. For items like the TreeShoes we can't do anything else, they're in another box. With the TreeGlasses we have cases made from fabric left over from the TreeShirts.

Co-founder Robin, Head of Purchasing and Production sits down with us.

Robin: Have you talked about the hangtags yet?
NIKIN Blog: What are hangtags?
Robin:
They are the tags that are attached to each dress with the barcode, the price and the size of the item.
Priscila:
We have only had these for three months. Before that we avoided them because we wanted to save resources.
Robin: But now, unfortunately, there was no other way. However, as with everything paper-like, we use sugar cane waste for the hangtags here. We haven't used normal paper for over three years.

[ product-handles list="treeshoe-women, treebottle-glass-allover-pines, treesocks-standard-single, folded-polylana-r-ripped1, treesweater-basic-unisex, treeglasses-round"]

NIKIN Blog: And what about the cardboard of the packages that go to the customers?
Robin: The carton is FSC-certified. We also have up to five different packaging sizes. So we don't send empty air. NIKIN does not use any filling material and we train the logistics.
Priscila: If we print on the cardboard, we keep it as small as possible because the ink is not natural.
Robin: The delivery note will also be digital in the future. 

NIKIN Blog: Last question: do you think that in the future more brands and companies in the fashion sector will act similarly to NIKIN?
Priscila: Difficult to say. Some will. The industry is putting more emphasis on sustainability because it is becoming more important to customers. It may be that some brands are afraid of the effort.
Robin: Actually, less packaging is less effort. You only have a phase at the beginning where you have to exchange ideas with the manufacturers to find new ways. But after that, everything is easier and better for the environment. Win-win.

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