Eco friendly packaging on clothes now...

[lollibit]

I have ordered two loads of expensive clothes recently and they have all come with the items folded up in a bag - one paper and one plastic. I understand that companies are trying to reduce plastic usage but there is just something off putting about seeing expensive clothes just shoved in a bag like this. Items used to be on hangers or in plastic.

As I said I DO understand why they are doing this so don't need any info about why. If you return any you then just put them back the same way - you can then end up with an item of clothing that has been touched by many sets of hands before it gets sent out to someone else. Sadly I'm from the generation that remember shops like Richards where they used to fold clothes in tissue paper beautifully. I was wondering how far this trail goes back - do they still come from manufacturers like this or are they still encased in plastic? Does anyone who works in retail actually know?

'If you return any you then just put them back the same way - you can then end up with an item of clothing that has been touched by many sets of hands before it gets sent out to someone else'

That's the situation however they are packed, tissue or not. The same in a retail store.

The only difference I see is that the bags save shipping and handling and storage costs as they are smaller and lighter weight than a box and quick to use.

This is what I'm wondering about behind the scenes now. You used to get garments in a plastic wrapper when you ordered online. They had come that way from Sri Lanka or wherever and you would see them wheeled into stores like this. They were sent out to you like this. I preferred it because it feels " new".

I’m pleased for you that this is the peak of your concerns.

Of course many people have likely touched the clothes, being in a plastic sleeve is unlikely to mean it is any different 😂

Just the making of the clothes will have involved them being handled all over by whoever was sewing them in Sri Lanka or whichever country they were manufactured in. Is the handling of clothes really a big concern?

I must admit I can't see the difference between an item of clothing in a paper bag and an item of clothing in a plastic bag? Why is it preferable to be in a plastic bag?

I am very happy if I receive clothing in a delivery with minimal plastic packaging. Can't stand the reams of thin plastic, plastic hangers and multiple plastic bags you get from some clothing companies.

But they were still tried on and handled by others in store or from mail-order.

A person would pack them, somebody try them, a person repack them, a person try them.

A garment on a hanger can have been perused by hundreds of people and tried on by many.

it's no different!!

I think you had too much belief in the power of plastic wrapped clothing to mean "clean". I don't think this was ever the case. Nicer shops have always used boxes and paper bags, tissue wraps. Same level of cleanliness, but smarter looking packaging.

Is it the folding & bag which upsets you? Are you willing to pay to cover the actual cost of all the excess packaging? I'm not sure what you would ideally want.

I got something from seasalt delivered it came in a paper postage bag which was ripped and there was no protection on the garment in either plastic or paper and the garment was dirty from the ripped bag.
I emailed photos of this to their customer service and got some waffle about being environmentally friendly….. and I kicked off and they gave me a full refund.

Its one thing being environmentally friendly but the packaging has to be fit for purpose

It’s nice when they arrive beautifully folded in tissue paper. I don’t like it when they’re in great big plastic sleeves or with hangers - the hangers get broken sometimes and I don’t particularly want people posting me hangers. And I really don’t like the sealed individual plastic bags - they remind me of stacks of cheap made overseas clothes, rather than something I’d choose nicely from a shop in person.

It’s all daft really, if you send them back the shop will repackage them however they want.

It's the lack of care with a garment . A garment put into a paper or plastic bag. It's not good enough. Funnily enough I got a t shirt from T K Max today and it was perfect - white t shirt neatly in a plastic bag then put into the delivery bag.

They don't now though with online orders.

I'm happy for you too ☺️

They do where I shop, which is only online.

Who is that ? Maybe I should move to them ?

Wrap and Poetry come in a cardboard box with tissue paper.

So you want items to be in two layers of plastic as per the TK Maxx order that you got today? Would one layer of plastic and an external paper bag be acceptable?

It’s funny how differently we think. I use Next a lot as I have the delivery pass and one thing that bugs me is the amount of plastic wrapping. Each garment in a plastic bag and then in another plastic bag.

Sahara clothing comes in a cardboard box with tissue as well

Yes thank you. Or any other layer to act as a barrier between the external packaging and different items.

So two paper bags would also be ok?

Isn't it just.

Yup

I liked pepperberry who packed in tissue, alas the range was dropped. All these extras cost

@Shinyhappyapple Next and M&S are the worst for it. So much unnecessary plastic.