Herzogenaurach, Germany — Puma's new shoe packaging changes the idea of the shoebox by wrapping footwear in a simple cardboard structure held in place by a reusable bag.
The new packaging, which will hit stores in late 2011, was designed in collaboration with Fuseproject, a firm led by Yves Béhar, whose previous work includes One Laptop Per Child and PACT Underwear.
Puma's packaging, which it's calling its "Clever Little Bag," will contain 65 percent less cardboard by using a bag made of recycled plastic as the outer layer that holds the inner cardboard structure (which has no top) together. The bag's handles slip through a hole at one end of the inner box, securing the bag to the cardboard and providing a plastic-bag-free way to carry the shoes.
Puma has also eliminated all plastic bags and tissue that typically come in shoeboxes.
Due to using fewer materials - 8,500 fewer tons of paper, to be specific - and the new packaging's lighter weight, Puma expects to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10,000 tons per year and water, energy and diesel use by 60 percent. That works out to 1 million liters of water, 20 million megajoules of electricity, 1 million liters of fuel oil and 500,000 liters of diesel.
Puma is also changing the bags it uses for it apparel. The company is first reducing the amount of bagging material it needs by folding T-shirts an extra time before packaging them up, and it is also replacing plastic bags with biodegradable ones. Puma stores will also swap out their plastic and paper bags for biodegradable versions. Altogether, the apparel and shopping bag changes will cut plastic use by 912 tons and paper by 293 tons.
it's all marketing
It's really all about marketing. The box uses a little less material, but cardboard is easily and readily recyclable. Wrapping it up in a "reusable" bag isn't the best idea. The bag looks like the standard Chinese made recycled polypropylene bags that are gaining popularity around the states. The problem is that these bags, that are now piling up in everyone's homes, are not recyclable. so when they tear, or burst a seam (after about a dozen uses), you just toss them away. Plain old cardboard shoeboxes are a much greener option, although just putting the shoes in a polyethelene bag would be even greener. Bags use far less energy and resources to create or recycle than paper, and create far less pollution.
looks like it actually uses more materials to me
That big bag that goes over the box bottom actually seems like it uses more materials to me than just having a box top, am I missing something? I applaud getting rid of the tissue paper and plastic bags inside the boxes though. Plus that bag isn't nearly as biodegradable as a paper box is. I don't really see the plus here, but whatever.
Puma's Clever Little Bag
Great idea, poor execution. Why does it take until "late 2011" to implement this intitiative?
Lots of reasons
Supply chain contracts, existing stocks of materials, large distribution network, market testing, field durability testing...
Pardon the pun but what a
Pardon the pun but what a load of rubbish, reducing packaging is hardly a new revelation. I fully appreciate the intricacies of the "supply chain" and the planning that goes into one as large as Puma's. However, I dont see the point in announcing this strategy which will take over a year to implement. A CSR strategy is far more powerful when you "walk the talk".