ZARA: Boxes with a Past

In 2016, as part of a greater sustainability initiative (Join Life) introduced by the Spanish clothing and accessories retailer, Zara launched new packaging with environmental concern leading the campaign - of which is titled 'Boxes with a past.'

Made with 100% recycled cardboard, all of which carries the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certification, the international PEFC standard or an equivalent standard that promotes sustainable practices in forests around the world, the packaging boxes that arrive in Zara's stores are used up to 5 times before being recycled - where the 'Boxes with a past' name derives from. They pass through suppliers, distribution centres and central warehouses before arriving in stores, where they are reused while they are still in good condition for transporting clothes and store materials. When they can no longer be reused, the store recycle them and transform them into new cardboard to produce new boxes that are used to send online orders.

Despite being 100% recyclable and therefore sustainable, the packaging still appears stylish, contemporary and distinct - in keeping with the Zara brand. With limited feature of a bold, post-modernist aesthetic created via a white-printed sans-serif typeface communicating typographic information on the packaging, the boxes are understated, ultra-modern and effective in their simplicity.

According to the retailer’s website, 56 percent of all online orders are currently delivered in these recycled boxes. Zara also teamed up with a number of current designers, photographers, and creatives—such as interior designer Ciszak Dalmas and photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti—to turn the recycled boxes into 'ultrachic' DIY projects complete with make-it-yourself tutorials on its website.