January 4, 2009

Newton’s Eco-Friendly Packaging a Snug Fit

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Boulder-based Newton Running has found an alternative to traditional printed cardboard shoe boxes.

With help from TDA Advertising and Design, the company designed a new way to package their product – running shoes – in a molded carton made of 100% post consumer recycled material. (Image via The Dieline.)

Because the shape of the carton fits closely to the shape of the shoe, there is no need for tissue paper. And  rather than stuff paper inside of the shoes to help them retain their shape, Newton includes a pair of socks and a reusable shoe bag – one in each shoe, PSFK explains.

Other shoe retailers making effort to be more sustainable include Nike, which released a basketball shoe ade from manufacturing waste in Feb. ‘08, and Adidas, which claimed in March that it is using natural resources more efficiently to produce and package its products.

On the other end of the spectrum, FinishLine.com was recently exposed by a blogger for its ludicrous shipping practices.

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Reader Comments

The shoebox featured in this story was designed by our advertising agency and submitted to several design competitions. We liked this design but after a lot of research we discovered it is not very sustainable for us to produce or ship the molded pulp shoe boxes.

We learned that not only were the pulp boxes significantly more expensive to make, but they are produced far from the footwear factory and they would dramatically increase overall freight costs because they do not stack in containers, warehouses or retail stores efficiently (as predicted in several comments).

Newton has instead developed a new rectangular shoebox that is produced from 100% post consumer waste and uses soy-based inks. The new packaging is easy to store and ship, it’s lightweight and it’s easy to break down and recycle. Read more about our environmental assessment and packaging audit here: http://www.TheRunningFront.com

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