When selecting our packaging, we currently favor recyclable materials and increasingly packaging with a high proportion of recycled and/or certified material. For example, we source our paper and paper-based packaging from recycled and/or Forest Stewardship Council®-certified sources (minimum FSC mix requirement). We also continuously question which packaging elements are actually necessary and have already tested various reusable and take-back solutions in the past.

The film bags in our primary packaging in particular continue to present us with challenges. They protect our products from moisture, dirt and damage, among other things, and must meet the requirements of both our processes and those of our partners. As part of a large-scale pilot project, we have therefore been working continuously since 2021 to make our primary packaging more sustainable and at the same time meet the various requirements throughout the supply chain. As we are unfortunately not yet able to completely dispense with bags - we have also tested this as part of the project - the aim is to increase the proportion of more sustainable packaging material and reduce the material required per product.

In order to reduce the use of conventional plastics, we analyzed paper, biodegradable plastics and bio-based plastics in our pilot project. Although paper was initially favored due to its natural, renewable raw material, the material could not meet our quality assurance requirements. Not only was the packaging sometimes severely damaged and soiled during shipping, but the paper packaging was also unable to meet sustainability-specific requirements. On the one hand, removing the virgin fibers and obtaining pulp is an energy-intensive and resource-intensive process, and on the other hand, the paper packaging also impairs the transport and storage volume. Based on our findings, we have opted for certified, 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bags. Almost 90% of our items in the Marc O'Polo Casual and Marc O'Polo DENIM lines are now packaged in the new, recycled plastic bags. An additional plus is the reduction in material: as our new bags are thinner, almost a third of the material is saved. Even though we are aware that switching to recycled material will not be the final solution to the problem, we want to significantly reduce the use of disposable packaging in future and increasingly return packaging directly to the cycle.

To make the shopping experience not only more convenient but also more sustainable, Marc O'Polo now offers the option of registering returns online instead of enclosing a returns label with every order. If a return is required, it can either be printed out at home and attached to the parcel or the code can be scanned in with a cell phone at the nearest collection point. As many orders do not require a returns label and are only used when necessary, this saves a lot of paper.

There are various ways to cover the costs of shipping goods. With the exception of a few special promotions, we have decided to charge shipping costs for orders. This not only makes the prices for products and shipping transparent, but also raises our awareness that every shipment of an online order causes shipping costs, packaging waste and CO2 emissions. If there is a return, there are additional costs for processing, shipping and CO2 emissions, which must also be covered. We believe that shipping costs not only lead to price transparency, but in the best case also to more conscious consumption. Marc O'Polo members have the advantage of saving on shipping costs when ordering via Click & Collect to the store. Express or immediate deliveries should generally be avoided, as the desire for a shorter delivery time deprives parcel service providers of the time needed to collect parcels and send them together to the nearest warehouse. If items are needed particularly quickly, the best option is direct retail.