Plastic Free July at Shade Australia
Plastic Free July is an initiative that has been driven by the Plastic Free Foundation since 2011. It asks us to challenge our use of plastic; to take notice of how much we’re using and look at ways to reduce and reuse. The Plastic Free Foundation has saved billions of tonnes of plastic from being discarded around the world and has inspired us here at Shade Australia to share our own sustainability practices.
As a business always looking to improve our own processes as well as the world around us, we found that our largest sustainability issue was packaging and waste going to landfill. We ship large, heavy products around Australia (as well as overseas) so it’s important for our goods to be well protected during transit and, to keep shipping costs down, packaging materials need to be as light as possible. Styrofoam and packing peanuts in cardboard boxes were once the most popular and economical choice however the past few years has seen a burgeoning availability in biodegradable and eco-friendly options, as well as increased interest in these options from customers. In order to avoid single use plastics, we made the decision to cut down on as much plastic packaging as possible. We have swapped Styrofoam packaging for honeycomb cardboard and timber panels, as well as jute and other natural materials that are biodegradable when they’re discarded.
Another way that we have encouraged sustainability is through prioritising the longevity of our products. We do this by having consistent, good quality product lines that will last and that we provide spare parts for. The ability to repair and replace parts seems to be a dying art, with many big brand stores choosing not to stock spare parts for their umbrellas and other shade solutions. At Shade Australia, stocking spare parts is something that we have been doing for a long time, though have recently become more focused on. It stems from wanting customers to know that they don’t have to throw away a whole umbrella if they have a broken part. It saves money for the customer, a large item plus shipping waste from being sent to landfill, and extends the lifespan and value of the product for years.
Other ways that we have committed to more sustainable practices is by changing the way some of our umbrellas are sold. It’s usual for cantilever umbrellas to be shipped with both a bolt down and cross bar base, but it’s rare for both of these bases to ever be used. For our Sunhaven Cantilever umbrella range, we ask customers to identify which base they prefer and ship the one option. This process saves good-quality products from going to waste and was actually inspired by customer feedback! We also print our information booklets, product guides, and business cards on recycled or sustainably sourced materials, and we also choose freight options that have a zero carbon footprint policy whenever we can. At the moment, we’re currently changing over from acrylic to biodegradable packing tape! This will save even more single-use plastic from being discarded!
Challenges like Plastic Free July keep us from becoming complacent with unsustainable practices and we believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment. We were able to cut a huge amount of single use plastic from reaching consumers and also reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. We’ll continue to discover ways to reduce plastic waste and welcome feedback from our customers. Every small change counts, and we’re committed to leading by example in our industry.
