Armoire launches sustainable shipping solution with sustainable packaging company, EcoEnclose
Armoire is proud to take its next step in providing a sustainable shipping solution to its members with the launch of a custom reusable canvas mailer in partnership with EcoEnclose.
Almost exactly a year ago, we announced the first step in our partnership with this sustainable shipping company, which just so happens to also be run by a Southeast Asian woman, Saloni Doshi. Since then, we’ve been collaborating tirelessly on our ultimate solution: a sustainable, premium, customer-friendly mailer designed to better protect our members’ clothes and the planet. We are thrilled to finally get it in the hands of our members!
We had the opportunity to interview Saloni about the experience of designing these reusable mailers, and their impact on customer experience and the environment. Watch or read the full interview below.
Sylvie: What in your experience are some of the benefits of [reusable] mailers like these?
Saloni: This is a very new product for us, as well as in the market, so I’m really excited that Armoire is forward-thinking on this. I think it’s been a really interesting 3-5 years where people are waking up to the challenges of single-use packaging. Maybe 5 years ago, you started seeing a conscious consumer base realize they needed to shift to refillable and reusable, whether it’s bringing your own cup to the coffee shop or using tote bags for groceries instead of plastic bags or paper. The obvious next question was what it was going to look like in Ecommerce. Is there a world where shipping packaging can be made to be reusable? So, we developed this product that’s 100% recycled and recyclable. Brands like Armoire are already very well set up to use this kind of product because the vast majority of those mailers will be reused, so it’s really an environmental no-brainer to use a product like this.
Sylvie: What is the anticipated environmental savings from an initiative like this, and how many times does a mailer like this need to get used in order for it to have a net benefit?
Saloni: Armoire is a really interesting case because you had already made the switch from a virgin poly mailer to a 100% recycled poly mailer, so you’ve already made this big leap into something more sustainable. The 100% recycled poly mailer needs to get used about 7 times it to be an ecological net positive, whereas the reusable mailer by comparison only needs to be used 3 times for the same positive outcome.
Sylvie: How do you envision a mailer like this changing or improving customer experience?
Saloni: Our hope is that it’s going to significantly elevate the user experience. If you’re an Armoire customer, you probably already care a lot about the environment. You’re trying to enjoy fashion without being a contributor to fast fashion or excess, so if you’re already oriented that way, could there by anything better than the brand that you love putting so much thought into their reusable mailer? I also love the way your team designed this mailer, such that it’s really functional as well, such as it can be used as a tote bag and isn’t over-engineered.
Armoire has already begun rolling out the pilot period for these fully reusable mailers, and over the coming months will be analyzing its impact on member experience and environmental savings.
