Here at mypiggywiggy we are constantly brainstorming ideas on how to be as sustainable as possible within the fashion industry. Usually it is focused on our garments. Whether that means introducing more vintage items to our weekly shop updates- (buying vintage clothing is the most sustainable way to shop!) Or intentionally searching for and selecting modern vintage inspired clothing that are timeless, good quality, and can be worn throughout multiple seasons. (We love the idea of the #wear30times rule!)

Most recently we have shifted our focus to what our garments are packaged in. We have extensively researched the most sustainable way to send out your lovely garments. And are proud to launch our sustainable packaging option! 

As much as we would love to provide these sustainable packaging materials as an added bonus to your shopping experience, we must give some responsibility to our customers to help cover some of the costs. Sustainability must also be thought about when running a business. We knew we wanted to offer sustainable eco-packaging so during our research we crunched some numbers. 

The Cost Break Down

Our old poly bags cost about .20 cents a piece (or about $60 for packaging 300 orders a month), the new poly bags made from 100% recyclable material costs about .56 a piece (about $168 for packaging 300 orders a month). Because this cost wasn't a huge dig into our margins, we upgraded to recycled poly bags and started to phase out the old poly bags. 

The box however costs €1.59 per box (so about $477 for 300 orders a month)

So breaking it down...just for the materials and at our current order volume of 300 orders a month

Old Poly Bags = $60 a month / $720 for the year

New Recycled Poly Bags = $168 a month / $2,016 for the year 

Standard Recyclable Box for 1 to 2 Garments = $477 a month / $5,724 for the year

As a small business the difference between $720 a year versus $5,724 a year can make a huge difference especially when that is just the cost of a single component of running a business. A poly bag and a box.

Shipping in a box also increases costs with the Post Office because it weighs more than the poly bags and has more volume.

With all that being said...with you choosing just for only two extra dollars at checkout to ship your order in our sustainable packaging, you will help alleviate the cost of just the supplies...therefore not only making this sustainable for the Earth (all materials can be recycled) but sustainable for us as a small business.

Here is how our Eco-Packaging Works:

First, we start off by assessing what sized box is needed for the order. It is important to us that we don't over package your orders, and waste materials.  Next, we carefully wrap the garments in recycled tissue paper. The finishing touch are some beautiful dried flowers and our thank you postcard. (Compost the flowers, recycle the card)

Rest assured, we have also phased our traditional poly bags out, and are instead choosing to use bags that are not only made out of recycled material, but can also be reused again, so if you have a return to make, please reuse the bag your order was shipped in!

So, if you cannot afford to spend the extra cash on our sustainable packaging option, your order will still arrive in packaging that is less harmful to the environment. We believe there is always room for growth and we hope that this step is the first of many more sustainable ideas and solutions at mypiggywiggy. We think it is important to do what we can and try our best while still sustaining the growth of mypiggywiggy and the profitability of the business.