Dear Brand, I Love You, But Can You Use Less Packaging?

Want to know your favorite brand’s environmental impact? Use this email template to find out.

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Shopping, a thrill, a necessity, and a whole lotta packaging. While some brands have adopted a lighter hand with their use of paper, plastic, and other materials, other brands are continuing the status quo with packaging that, while beautiful, is an unnecessary single-waste product. Thankfully, brands are listening and changing. So, if your favorite brand falls into the latter category, simply telling them can result in less waste in the year ahead.

If you’ve ever been frustrated by a brand’s excessive use of tissue paper, hard-to-open boxes, plastic wrapping, or simply desire to know more about brands with sustainable packaging, this email template can help you fill in the eco-friendly gaps. All you have to do is hit ‘send’.

I was inspired by Fashion Revolution’s email template asking fashion brands to support their garment workers during this crisis. I sent a letter to a brand populating my closet, the sustainable California-based Reformation. Two days later, I received a response detailing the organizations they were partnering with to support their workers in downtown Los Angeles. Impressed, pleased, and reassured to hear that a brand I so adamantly support was taking actions to back up its ethical claims, I felt inspired to hear more from brands whose products I support and love. So, I’ve revamped the template to ask brands about another pressing issue- packaging.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ‘Containers and packaging make up a major portion of municipal solid waste (MSW), amounting to 80.1 million tons in 2017 (29.9 percent of total generation).’ Plastic packaging materials, in particular, release toxic gases when decomposing in landfills, in part due to chemical coatings. And, they aren’t only harming the environment. Consumers’ wallets are negatively affected, too. According to researchers at the University of Southern Indiana, ‘Out of every $10 spent buying things, $1 (10%) goes for packaging that is thrown away. Packaging represents about 65% of household trash.’

When shopping, in-person and online, I try to minimize packaging waste by bringing my own bags and opting for brands that engage in recycling programs or use biodegradable or paper packaging. Even so, there are several brands whose products I’ve become loyal to over the years, whose packaging leaves me with answers about their sustainable claims.

One product that has been a part of my beauty regimen for 6 years is Sunday Riley’s Antioxidant Face Oil. Yet, when I first received a package from the sustainable skincare brand, I was unsure whether or not the heavy box was recyclable. (Not to mention that it was incredibly hard to open). In 2020, the site stated that all packaging would be recyclable, and by 2022, the company became Plastic Neutral. To date, the site states that they engage in plastic offsetting programs to recover as much plastic trash from the environment that’s equal to what they use. And, customers can engage in their packaging take-back and recycling programs. Additionally, its paper packaging is “Thoughtfully designed using FSC paper and cardboard, eco-friendly inks, recyclable varnishes, and post-consumer recycled plastics.” Still, my local beauty retailers no longer offer boxes I can drop my beauty containers in to be recycled, and with dozens of containers from the brand, I felt confused about the best disposal option.

Another beauty staple of mine is Laneige, a Korean skincare brand whose whipped masks have replaced my sheet mask obsession. While natural, biodegradable sheet masks do exist, my favorites weren’t. And, even though there are a few natural replacements that I’ve found over the years, Laneige hydrating sleep masks have become one of my addictions for that ‘lit from within’ glow. Unfortunately, I have no idea whether or not the containers are plastic, glass, recyclable, or trash set for the landfill.

Breaking Down Sephora’s Sustainable Packaging

ThredUp is an online thrift store I often shop from to stock up on pre-loved t-shirts and fun dresses for my daughter. There is even a ‘bundle’ option to minimize shipments and CO2 emissions. Yet, during one of my last shopping ‘trips’, I realized that my package wasn’t very ‘bundled’ when it was delivered in 4 separate packages. What’s more is that each was wrapped in tissue paper, and the garments had cardboard tags attached. To me, that’s a lot of packaging waste for a brand built on a foundation of reducing waste.

I emailed these 3 brands to learn more about their sustainable packaging and reduction initiatives, and their suggestions for recycling or disposing of said packaging sustainably. If you’d like to write to your favorite brand- whether it’s a fashion label that you’d like to see use tissue paper or a sustainable beauty brand- copy and use this template. Replace the name of the brands and update with your signature. Then, hit send.