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Advice
How Allbirds, Patagonia, and Reformation Choose Their Sustainability Priorities
We analyze how seven sustainable ecommerce companies choose packaging that aligns with their priorities.
Katelan Cunningham
· Dec 10, 2019
Video
How to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable
Sustainability is much bigger than recyclability. To truly start to understand the impact of your packaging on the environment ask yourself these four questions.
· Apr 19, 2018
Opinion
Slash Packaging: Earth needs progress not perfection
Why something is better than nothing. Reflections on the first year of Slash Packaging.
Stephan Ango
· Apr 22, 2021
Advice
4 Ways to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Your Packaging
Simple strategies to cut down on excessive packaging and keep your footprint minimal.
Kristine Isidro
· Apr 16, 2018
Report
Mitigating Paper Emissions Through Sustainable Forestry
A deep dive into the forests and paper mills that produce one of the most important materials on the planet.
Dan Binkoski
· Apr 18, 2017
Video
Unboxing Allbirds
If their shoes are made from sugar cane and tree fibers, then you can bet that the box isn’t basic. On Unboxing Things, see how Allbirds is reimagining the shoe box.
· Aug 30, 2018
Video
Unboxing Rothy's
Rothy's is prioritizing a more sustainable end-to-end packaging experience for shipping their flats. See how they thought through the returns process for an efficient and less wasteful customer experience.
· Sep 6, 2018
Video
Unboxing Package Free Shop
How does a packaging-centric brand create a waste-free shipping experience? Find out.
· Jul 25, 2019
Bulletin
Release Notes: Sustainability Properties
A new feature to help you make more environmentally sound packaging decisions.
Stephan Ango
· Apr 22, 2019
Podcast
Tabea Soriano: Making Sustainability Practical – Well Made E40
Former Head of Product of Reformation and startup sustainability advisor, Tabea Soriano, shares social and environmental strategies to integrate into identity and business.
· Apr 17, 2018
Roundup
Second Life Packaging: A Clever Approach to Sustainability
Designs for reusable packaging that skip the recycling bin.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 21, 2017
Roundup
A Perfect Fit: Sustainability Through Snug Packaging
8 clever solutions to minimize your packaging for less waste and cheaper shipping.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 28, 2017
Bulletin
Release Notes: 7 New Sustainability Properties to Reduce and Reuse Packaging
Expanding our framework of strategies to help you make better packaging decisions.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 21, 2020
Bulletin
Announcing Lumi ID: Making Packaging Transparency Accessible to All
We're launching Lumi ID, our most powerful sustainability tool to date.
Stephan Ango
· Mar 18, 2020
Roundup
Holiday Gift Guide 2020
For your holiday gifting, we curated 50 brands that have joined the Slash Packaging movement.
Katelan Cunningham
· Nov 19, 2020
Video
Unboxing Bite Toothpaste
A totally new way to ship (and use) toothpaste.
· Oct 24, 2019
Report
Box Recovery is Up, but Curbside Contamination Could Hold Back Recycling
The blue bin isn't the end of the line for recycling. How can consumers increase the recyclability of old boxes?
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 20, 2018
Video
Unboxing Reformation
Dig into Reformation's approach to shipping sustainably.
· Apr 23, 2019
Video
Unboxing Everlane
Everlane's sustainable, high quality approach to apparel extends to their packaging too.
· Aug 29, 2019
Advice
Why you should give your customers a low-packaging option
Companies like Glossier and Function of Beauty are giving customers packaging opt-outs at checkout. We explore why you should consider it too.
Katelan Cunningham
· Jul 16, 2020
Video
Unboxing Blueland
Blueland is showing how to create a brand experience made just for ecommerce.
· Jul 11, 2019
Video
Unboxing HiBar
See how this brand is raising the bar on plastic-free hair care.
· Oct 31, 2019
Advice
11 Strategies to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable
Your packaging sustainability toolkit. Start where you can, and set goals for the future.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 22, 2019
Podcast
Jenny Gyllander, Thingtesting: Testing Things – Well Made E73
On the Thingtesting Instagram, Jenny Gyllander offers her perspective on products from the lens of a consumer and a venture capitalist.
· Mar 20, 2019
Report
How China’s Recycling Bans Have Impacted The Fate of Curbside Recycling in the U.S.
A timeline of the impact of China's import restrictions on U.S. recycling.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 22, 2019
Video
Unboxing Dropps
See how Dropps fits 64 loads of laundry into their cleverly constructed box.
· Aug 15, 2019
Video
Unboxing by Humankind
Sturdy where it counts and no plastic in sight.
· Jan 2, 2020
Video
Unboxing Native (2021)
What's missing from this plastic-free deodorant packaging is the most impressive thing about it.
· Feb 24, 2021
Podcast
Alden Wicker: Impressing the eco-nerds – Well Made E139
Sustainability is not binary. Returning guest reporter Alden Wicker is breaking down what we talk about when we talk about sustainability and exposing common red herrings.
· Feb 18, 2021
Video
How Corrugated Boxes are Made
We're on site at US Corrugated to track the lifecycle of corrugated boxes.
· Apr 21, 2017
Podcast
Jeffrey Hollender, Seventh Generation: Taking Responsibility – Well Made E88
As the co-founder of Seventh Generation and Sustain Natural, Jeffrey Hollender knows what it takes to build transparent businesses with a focus on sustainability. On this episode he shares successes, failures, and his current efforts to shift fundamental systems.
· Jul 10, 2019
Podcast
Céline Semaan, Slow Factory: Unlearning and reeducating – Well Made E129
Céline Semaan, founder of Slow Factory, is bringing us up to speed. This episode is a lesson on unlearning the systems we know and getting familiar with the discomfort of change.
· Sep 9, 2020
Advice
Ask Lumi: Is Compostable Plastic Better for the Planet?
Answering your questions about the complexity of compostable plastic packaging.
Katelan Cunningham
· Nov 12, 2019
Video
Unboxing Clean Cult
Unboxing Things is back, and we're unboxing from home, starting with a refillable, modular, packaging delight.
· May 28, 2020
Podcast
Iris Alonzo, Everybody: Talking Trash – Well Made E19
Iris is taking her learnings from American Apparel and applying them to EVERYBODY, a new brand founded on ethics and ecology.
· Apr 19, 2017
Advice
Ask Lumi: Does Soy Ink Actually Make a Difference?
Answering your questions about the environmental impact of ink and how you can cut down on VOCs.
Ian Montgomery
· Jan 9, 2020
Advice
Does Your Slash Packaging Page Answer These 5 Questions?
Inspiration from some of the pioneers of the Slash Packaging movement.
Katelan Cunningham
· Apr 22, 2020
Podcast
Leah Thomas: Protecting people and planet – Well Made E124
What does it mean to be an "intersectional environmentalist" and how can companies follow suit? We're talking to Leah Thomas, the person who coined the term.
· Aug 4, 2020
How Seventh Generation designed their Zero Plastic cleaning line
We're talking to the Seventh Generation packaging team about their new plastic-free, water-free line of cleaning products.
Katelan Cunningham
· Oct 20, 2020
Podcast
Carter Comstock and Michael Wystrach, Freshly: Making it Easy to Eat Healthy – Well Made E59
The founders of Freshly, a healthy, heat-and-eat meal subscription brand talk about making fresh foods that ship in the mail.
· Oct 4, 2018
Podcast
Adam Simone, Leaf Shave: Engineering Lifelong Razors – Well Made E83
Hear how founder Adam Simone took his experience creating medical-grade tools to develop a refillable, plastic-free Leaf razor.
· Jun 5, 2019
Advice
How to Estimate the Carbon Footprint of Your Packaging
A guide to estimating the carbon emissions of your packaging, and how to reduce and offset them.
Dan Binkoski
· Apr 24, 2020
Podcast
Caspar Coppetti, On Running: Subscribing to a shoe – Well Made E137
What does it take to make a shoe recyclable and how do you get customers to recycle it? Caspar Copetti and his team at On are testing their hypotheses with a whole new supply chain for a subscription based shoe.
· Jan 28, 2021
Podcast
Erin Wallace, ThredUp: Replacing Consumer Behavior – Well Made E95
Shopping secondhand significantly offsets the amount of waste produced by the fashion industry. ThredUp's Brand Director talks sustainability, stigma, and streamlining resale with retail.
· Sep 18, 2019
Opinion
Slash Packaging
A movement to make packaging information accessible to all
Stephan Ango
· Apr 22, 2020
Podcast
Vanessa Barboni Hallik, Another Tomorrow: Rethinking Your Framework – Well Made E116
Vanessa is taking us through the carefully considered, incremental decisions it took to build an ethical supply chain for Another Tomorrow.
· Apr 23, 2020
Podcast
Nellie Cohen, Patagonia: Celebrating the Stories We Wear – Well Made E52
A talk with Patagonia's Worn Wear Manager, Nellie Cohen on the logistics and marketing of repairing and selling used clothing online
· Jul 25, 2018
Roundup
Could These Materials be the Future of Packaging?
10 material substitutes for traditional paper and plastic.
Ian Montgomery
· Apr 26, 2019
Podcast
Emily Sugihara, Baggu: Making a Really Nice Thing – Well Made E30
Ten years in, Baggu founder Emily Sugihara shares the tenants of her iconic bag brand and the discipline in good design.
· Nov 30, 2017
Video
Does it Recycle? Testing the Most Common Types of Packaging
Debunking the recyclability of some of the most common types of packaging.
· Apr 18, 2017
Podcast
Kevin Kelly: Becoming good ancestors – Well Made E145
As a futurist, purveyor of tech tools, and the founding executive editor of Wired, Kevin Kelly has spent a lot of time thinking about the future. But his latest project is a 50-year visual anthology that cherishes the past while bringing a more long-term vision into focus.
· Apr 15, 2021
Podcast
Alden Wicker: Trying to Do Right – Well Made E113
Decreased emissions don't paint the full picture of COVID-19's environmental impact. Sustainable fashion journalist Alden Wicker takes us beyond the idea of conscious consumerism as the pandemic magnifies environmental and human crises in the apparel supply chain.
· Apr 8, 2020
Podcast
Ian Montgomery, Guacamole Airplane: Getting comfortable with trade-offs – Well Made E138
Ian Montgomery, founder and Creative Director of Guacamole Airplane is merging environmental science and design to push the limits of how we think about sustainable packaging.
· Feb 11, 2021
Podcast
Emily Sugihara, Baggu: Getting Weirder – Well Made E71
A year after our first talk, Baggu founder Emily Sugihara shares how they're preserving the heart of the bag brand.
· Mar 6, 2019
Podcast
Davis Smith, Cotopaxi: Navigating Difficult Times – Well Made E115
Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith has always faced tough decisions with a people-first approach. Davis is making a case for sustainable shifts to capitalism.
· Apr 21, 2020
Video
Packaging Strategies for E-Commerce Returns
Let’s talk about some packaging strategies you can use to make returns easier on your customers.
· Apr 26, 2017
Podcast
Hillary Peterson, True Botanicals: Looking to Nature – Well Made E123
True Botanicals founder Hillary Peterson debunks the idea that natural products can’t outperform toxic ones, and dives into the implications of cost and customer education.
· Jun 24, 2020
Podcast
Chris Kirby, Ithaca Hummus: Making it onto the grocery list – Well Made E125
In the midst of a pandemic-induced ecommerce boom, Ithaca Hummus is doing just fine in grocery stores’ deli sections. Founder Chris Kirby talks about the experiential role of retail, staying smart and flexible, and separating trends from universal truths.
· Aug 12, 2020
Podcast
Lindsay Dahl, Beautycounter: Fixing Broken Beauty Laws – Well Made E93
Beautycounter takes their mission straight to Capitol Hill. Hear how SVP of Social Mission, Lindsay Dahl lobbies for clean beauty.
· Aug 28, 2019
Podcast
Kyle Chayka: Longing for Less – Well Made E110
Minimalism goes deeper than aesthetics — way deeper. In his debut book, "The Longing for Less", writer Kyle Chayka goes back to the roots of minimalism to pivot our modern interpretations away from aesthetic and more toward sourcing.
· Feb 26, 2020
Podcast
Jeremy Lang, Pela: Using Waste as Currency – Well Made E105
Phone cases don’t need to last a lifetime, but in a landfill, they might. Pela founder Jeremy Lang shares how he developed the compostable flax-based phone case material and how Pela is making a place for itself in the responsibility economy.
· Jan 8, 2020
Podcast
Iva Pawling, Richer Poorer: Feeling Good, Being Good – Well Made E29
A conversation with Iva Pawling CEO of Richer Poorer, an innerwear brand dedicated to the omnichannel approach.
· Nov 16, 2017
Podcast
Chelsea Mozen, Etsy: Scaling Environmental Accountability – Well Made E122
Etsy's Director of Sustainability shares how the maker marketplace is measuring and taking responsibility for their ecological impact.
· Jun 17, 2020
Podcast
Peter Dering, Climate Neutral: Offsetting Carbon – Well Made E109
Peter Dering, founder of Peak Design, shares why he is starting a new nonprofit called Climate Neutral to help brands become carbon neutral.
· Feb 12, 2020
Video
Void Fill Options for Your Packaging
We cover the pros and cons of the types of void fill that don’t require any machinery.
· Jul 12, 2017
Podcast
Andy Fallshaw, Bellroy: Designing for longevity – Well Made E133
Bellroy CEO and Co-founder Andy Fallshaw is debunking status quo for profit, purpose and product design, and evolving to meet the needs of our planet.
· Nov 5, 2020
Podcast
Meika Hollender, Sustain Natural: Having the Sustainable Sex Talk – Well Made E65
A conversation with Sustain Natural founder, Meika Hollender on starting an all-natural period and sex startup with her dad.
· Jan 2, 2019
Podcast
Stuart Landesberg, Grove Collaborative: Prioritizing the Long Term – Well Made E104
Momentum is building around sustainable purchasing and Stuart Landesberg believes this is just the beginning. The CEO and Co-founder of Grove Collaborative shares a piece-by-piece sustainability strategy and the outlook that could make Grove a 100-year company.
· Jan 1, 2020
Podcast
Wylie Robinson, Rumpl: Aspiring to ubiquity – Well Made E135
What does it take to be the first big blanket brand in the past couple centuries? Fresh off his Shark Tank pitch, Wylie Robinson is sharing his plan to make Rumpl a household name.
· Nov 18, 2020
Podcast
Sarah Paiji Yoo, Blueland: Changing Consumer Behavior – Well Made E97
Blueland is taking the refill model and dehydrating it. Founder and CEO Sarah Paiji Yoo takes us behind the scenes of Blueland's busy first year, the struggles to find a manufacturer for their cleaning tablets, and pitching on Shark Tank.
· Oct 23, 2019
Podcast
Kendra Pierre Louis: Motivated by obligation – Well Made E151
Climate reporter Kendra Pierre Louis's bylines follow the impacts of climate change in all forms — from caterpillar plagues to wildfire season. To solve climate change, she's shifting the lens from consumers to companies and regulators.
· Jul 15, 2021
Podcast
Carl Rivera, Shopify: Building direct relationships – Well Made E131
When Shopify acquired Tictail, Carl Rivera took the lead on Shop — Shopify's shopping app that boosts brand discovery and lowers acquisition costs.
· Sep 30, 2020
Podcast
Manish Chandra, Poshmark: Letting Community Lead the Way – Well Made E89
We sit down with Poshmark founder and CEO, Manish Chandra to talk about the logistics of the resale marketplace, and building social ecommerce experiences.
· Jul 17, 2019
Bulletin
You can now hire exceptional packaging agencies and freelancers with Lumi Experts
Discover our new partnership program for experts in packaging design, engineering, sustainability consulting and supply chain
Stephan Ango
· Feb 11, 2021
Podcast
Cynthia Power, Eileen Fisher: Closing the Clothing Loop – Well Made E78
A discussion on designing for longevity with the Director of EILEEN FISHER Renew.
· Apr 24, 2019
Podcast
Mike Lackman, Trade Coffee: Creating a Customer Journey – Well Made E103
Trade Coffee is delivering on discovery, but the subscription part is more complex than it seems. Hear how they've optimized for their roasters and their customers.
· Dec 18, 2019
Podcast
Ara Katz, Seed: Seeding – Well Made E80
Breaking down the science of the microbiome with Seed.
· May 8, 2019
Podcast
Ask Lumi: Looking Back on 100 Episodes – Well Made E100
Jesse and Stephan are answering your questions about the podcast, packaging, ecommerce, and Lumi.
· Nov 20, 2019
Podcast
Elizabeth Segran: Predicting the Next Decade – Well Made E106
Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Elizabeth Segran reflects on the past decade of consumer trends and makes some insightful predictions about how gradual consumer shifts have lead to substantial changes in what consumers expect of brands.
· Jan 16, 2020
Podcast
Ollie and Lerer Hippeau, Ollie: Launching a New Unboxing – Well Made E75
Ollie Sr. Operations Manager, Nancy Walton, and Lerer Hippeau Principal investor, Caitlin Strandberg talk about the supply chain strategy behind Ollie's new packaging redesign.
· Apr 3, 2019
Podcast
Kerry Cooper, Rothy's: Turning All the Dimmers Up – Well Made E81
Rothy's burst into the shoe market with flats made from recycled water bottles in 2016. Three years later, Kerry Cooper, the President of Rothy's, talks about treading new ground with the overseas expansion of their sustainable slip-on.
· May 15, 2019
Video
Unboxing Thousand
This helmet brand is investing in just three packaging components to deliver on a commitment to safety and sustainability.
· Dec 9, 2020
Podcast
Jeremiah McElwee, Thrive Market: Sourcing more patiently – Well Made E144
As the natural food market has boomed, Thrive Market's Jeremiah McElwee has learned that scaling a healthy, sustainable supply chain takes patience and a constant pursuit of perfection.
· Apr 9, 2021
Podcast
Kristy Caylor, For Days: Keeping clothing out of landfills – Well Made E141
On average, each person in the US sends 70 pounds of textiles to a landfill each year. For Days founder Kristy Caylor is building a textile recovery stream to close the loop and build a supply chain fueled by fashion waste.
· Mar 4, 2021
Podcast
Tyler Mincey, Bolt: Taking things apart – Well Made E147
Tyler Mincey is a Partner at Bolt where he's always thinking about the long view of new products. With a decade of product experience, he's envisioning a future of tech that's more integrated and ambient than ever before.
· May 13, 2021
Bulletin
Meet Lumi Search and Supplier Profiles: What if finding a manufacturer was easy?
Announcing our new tools to help you find and work with packaging and print suppliers
Stephan Ango
· Feb 2, 2021
Video
Unboxing Blue Bottle Coffee
A minimal subscription unboxing with secrets to efficient fulfillment.
· Oct 1, 2020
Podcast
Eric Edelson, Fireclay Tile: Knowing What it Means to Be a Good Business – Well Made E119
In 2008, Fireclay Tile CEO Eric Edelson brought the tile business direct-to-consumer, and he hasn't looked back. He talks us through scaling past max capacity, becoming a B Corp, and staying recession proof.
· May 13, 2020
Advice
Reduce Your Packaging Costs: 30 Strategies
Our first ebook distills strategies to reduce packaging costs with real-world examples from IKEA, Walmart, P&G, Dell, Glossier and more.
Stephan Ango
· Jul 8, 2020
Podcast
Scott Tannen, Boll & Banch: Starting from scratch – Well Made E134
“Whether you plan to be transparent or not, transparency is going to find you.” With end-to-end control of the supply chain, Boll & Branch is building a business that’s better for people and the planet.
· Nov 11, 2020
Podcast
Hilary Milnes, Vogue Business: Streaming the runway – Well Made E140
It’s been two years since Vogue Business editor Hilary Milnes was on the show to share her DTC retail predictions. One year into the pandemic, trend trajectories have spiked, forcing brands to accelerate faster than anyone predicted.
· Feb 25, 2021
Roundup
Packaging That Lasts: 10 Uses for Cotton Bags
No matter what you're shipping, cotton bags can make your product feel extra special.
Katelan Cunningham
· Aug 24, 2016
Podcast
Laura Behrens Wu, Shippo: Shipping is changing – Well Made E146
After a record year of ecommerce, Shippo CEO Laura Behrens Wu returns with an update on the current state of shipping. Customers want more choice and transparency at checkout, and mega shippers' shortcomings are making way for more fragmented, hyperlocal logistics.
· Apr 29, 2021
Bulletin
Custom Manufacturing Should be as Scalable as the Web
Announcing Lumi’s Series A, led by Spark Capital, Forerunner Ventures and Homebrew.
Stephan Ango
· Feb 14, 2018
Bulletin
Release Notes: Standardized Quality
Raising the bar for quality with new features and services that standardize capabilities across the Lumi Network.
Stephan Ango
· Aug 28, 2019
Podcast
Stephan Ango: Following Through – Well Made E121
A short meditation about the relationship between racism and climate change, and what we can do to better support Black businesses.
· Jun 11, 2020
Advice
What every brand can learn from Amazon's Frustration-Free Packaging guidelines
Whether or not you sell on Amazon, there is a lot to learn from their packaging.
Katelan Cunningham
· Aug 13, 2020
