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Packaging & Logistics

Sustainable packaging and logistics design
HUGO BOSS is always looking for new ways to reduce CO2 emissions in the long term and conserve natural resources. In addition to sustainably designed packaging made of certified and/or recycled material, logistics and transport processes are also important when it comes to improving our ecological footprint. They can be optimized by reorganizing transport routes or using new technology.

Our goal: reduce packaging and develop sustainable alternatives

At HUGO BOSS, packaging is used at various stages in the value chain and for different reasons. For example, we protect our goods in accordance with our premium standards, bundle units of orders and transport, present our goods in retail stores and hand them over to our customers in shopping bags or gift packaging. Our goal is always to save material, use sustainable raw materials or develop reusable solutions. In doing so, we rely on recycled plastics and FSC®-certified paper, for example. In order to meet our high standards we have developed a Packaging Guideline with material specifications and concrete targets.

HUGO BOSS Packaging Guideline

Optimize packaging

Sales packaging

Examples of sales packaging include shopping bags and gift boxes. Here, HUGO BOSS uses FSC®-certified paper almost exclusively. We have also eliminated the use of plastic lamination, so the packaging can be recycled after use. Wherever possible, we use recycled material from households or offices, so-called post-consumer recycled material, for our shopping bags. Products such as suits are sold to our customers in reusable garment bags to protect the clothing. To minimize the sustainability impact here, recycled material is used almost exclusively for their production.

Product packaging

We have switched to using FSC®-certified paper for all paper product packaging for bodywear, socks and most of our used tissue paper as well as shoe boxes, which also contain a large proportion of recycled material. We are also testing a variety of more sustainable alternatives in additional categories. For example, we are switching to plastic packaging with a recycled portion. As a matter of principle, we always take care to reduce the amount of material used.

Transport packaging

The HUGO BOSS logistics centers pay much attention to reusing cardboard packaging. In 2019, almost 844 tons cardboard boxes were reused for shipping from German distribution centers. Newly procured cardboard packaging for shipment from Germany is FSC® certified. On average, the boxes consist of 85% recycled material. We also demand sustainability from our producers with regard to their cardboard packaging. HUGO BOSS also optimizes the use of plastic. For example, almost 90 % of our protective garment covers are made from recycled materials and a part of our clothes hangers for transportation are already either reused or recycled in a closed loop.

On the way to more sustainable logistics

HUGO BOSS produces its products worldwide. To meet the complex sourcing requirements, our logistics processes involve all relevant modes of transport: sea freight, air freight, combined traffic (sea and air freight), and rail traffic. Wherever our delivery promises to our customers allow it, we always use the mode of transport with the smallest CO2 footprint. HUGO BOSS strives to capture optimization potential throughout the supply chain:

  1. Production
    The supply chain software used by HUGO BOSS enables producers to select the optimal cardboard packaging and packaging method. This conserves packaging materials and cuts CO2 emissions.
  2. Shipping
    HUGO BOSS is increasingly using environmentally friendly transportation channels. One example is the inbound shipping chain from Hong Kong to Germany, for which five alternative transportation channels exist. We always give priority to the mode of transport with the smallest CO2 footprint, such as ship and rail. Compared to other modes of transport, rail traffic has moderate lead times and low CO2 emissions. Ships also cause comparatively few emissions. They can sail to both northern ports (northern Germany) and southern ports (southeast Europe). Emissions factors on the southern port routes are lower, due to the shorter distance. We only use much higher-emission air freight for extremely time-critical customer needs. Combined traffic of sea and air freight is a potential compromise here: as we see in the example, sea freight is used from Asia to the transshipping point in Dubai, where the shipment is loaded on to a plane.
  3. Handling
    Goods consignments can often be consolidated to cut down on shipments. To optimize the utilization of shipping container capacity, for example, we often group many small shipments into larger units abroad. 
  4. Distribution
    Recycling and reuse help to avoid waste. In addition, when we source new boxes for merchandise dispatched from Germany, we only use FSC®-certified (FSC® N002527) cardboard.

Targets in the field of packaging and logistics

  • 5 % reduction in total packaging material by 2025

    By 2025, we will reduce our total packaging material by 5 % compared to 2019. For example, HUGO BOSS is continuously reviewing how cardboard boxes can be used in the best possible way, which transport methods can be used that don’t require protective clothing covers or where the size of the film covers can be reduced.

    First target update 2021

  • 100 % sustainable plastic packaging by 2025

    We have set ourselves the target of having 100 % of our plastic packaging made of recycled or other sustainable material by 2025. For example, almost 90 % of the protective garment covers used in our own hanging-garment warehouse have long been made of recycled material.

    Target achievement in 2019: 31 %

  • 100 % certified and/or recycled paper packaging by 2025

    HUGO BOSS has set itself the goal of sourcing 100 % of its packaging paper – from labels to shipping cartons – from sustainably managed forests and/or in recycled form by 2025.

    Target achievement in 2019: 82 %

  • 3 % increase in reused transport packaging in "inbound" logistics by 2022

    HUGO BOSS has set itself the goal of increasing the proportion of cadboard boxes in the logistics sector. In "inbound" logistics, we will reuse 3% more transport packaging by 2022 compared to 2019.

    Target achieved in 2019: 844 tons of reused cardboard packaging

Current Topics

Jul | 23 | 2020

HUGO BOSS focuses on science-based targets for climate protection

Dec | 18 | 2019

HUGO BOSS receives award for sustainable packaging

Dec | 10 | 2018

HUGO BOSS has signed the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action