Australian maternity dress hire brand Mama Rentals has begun trialling reusable mailing satchels for smaller parcels.
Founder Alice Huang said the trial is expected to highlight how long the packages will last.
According to Huang, the new packaging is nearly 100% made from natural materials such as FSC paper, organic cotton, soy-based inks and plant-derived coating.
"I use my compostable shipping label to seal the satchel - plus some extra compostable tapes," Huang said. "I would [then] send the customer a prepaid return shipping label with their dress - plus some instructions - so they can reuse the same satchel to return the rental items by sealing it with the return shipping label."
Huang said the brand’s mailing satchels, packing tape and shipping labels are currently all compostable.
“I actually compost all returned satchels from customers at my home,” Huang said. “We do all our washing, steaming, and drying on-site with eco-friendly, fragrance-free washing powder and all facilities are run on solar power.”
“Everything we do is about reducing our carbon footprint. Our custom-made garment bags that we use to pack our garments are 55% linen and 45% cotton and made to last.
“They are washed and reused for each rental.”
Huang said the idea for her brand arose six years ago when she began searching for her own maternity dress for a photoshoot. Today, the brand has accumulated nearly 400 dresses in sizes ranging from 4 to 22.