Packaging & Logistics

More 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 more 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.

increase of single-use plastic used in packaging*

Our target by 2030: 30% reduction compared to 2023 *per item, no hangers and suit bags

Our goal: reduce packaging and develop more sustainable alternatives

How we select our packaging materials

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 better 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 which reflect our more sustainable approach to packaging.

HUGO BOSS Sustainable Packaging Guideline

How we protect our forests

In the context of environmental and climate protection, we are particularly committed to protecting the world's ancient forests and aim to support ending deforestation when selecting paper and cardboard packaging materials and cellulosic fabrics. To this end, HUGO BOSS cooperates with the environmental organization Canopy. The aim is to source from selected suppliers, using Canopy’s tool as guidance, and sustainable solutions that meet our criteria when procuring packaging and cellulosic materials such as viscose. Accordingly, we have set ourselves various targets - including on packaging reduction and reuse and the use of recycled materials. They are all summarized in the Commitment to Protect Forests Through Our Paper, Packaging and Fabrics Choices, which was developed in collaboration with Canopy.

Commitment to Protect Forests Through Our Paper, Packaging and Fabrics Choices

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

At HUGO BOSS all paper product packaging for bodywear, socks, shoe boxes (with a predominantly recycled content) is made of FSC®-certified paper. We are also testing a variety of more sustainable alternatives in additional product categories. For example, we are gradually switching our plastic packaging to materials with post-consumer recycled content and have started a pilot project to pack individual products in FSC®-certified paper bags instead of polybags. As a matter of principle, we always take care to reduce the amount of material used.

Transport packaging

The HUGO BOSS logistics centers pay close attention to the reuse of cardboard packaging. In 2024, 670 tons of cardboard boxes were reused for shipping from German distribution centers. 37% of the transport packaging used in the dispatching of goods was therefore reused. Newly procured cardboard packaging for shipment from our central distribution centers in Germany is certified. On average, the boxes consisted in the past year of 80 % recycled material. We also set requirements for our producers through clear specifications in our packaging regulations for transport. HUGO BOSS also optimizes the use of plastic packaging. For example, almost 90 % of our protective garment covers are made from recycled materials. Our clothes hangers for transportation are made of over 90% recycled material and parts of them are returned to a hanger cycle for multiple use or are recycled.

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: road 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

HUGO BOSS enables its producers to use supply chain software that optimally plans the on-time delivery of freight shipments in order to use the most efficient transport mode for each deal. In addition, it suggests the optimal cardboard packaging and packing method in order to save packaging materials. This system helps to optimize the efficiency of our transportation mode and to minimize the impact on the environment while limiting CO2 emissions.

2. Shipping

HUGO BOSS is increasingly using transportation channels which help to minimize its environmental impact.

Together with our transport service providers, we optimize transports through efficient route planning and consolidation of shipments. Preference is given to the most CO2-efficient means of transportation, such as the ship. We only use much higher-emission air freight for extremely time-critical customer needs. Combining sea and air freight is a potential compromise here: as can be seen in the example below, we start with the ship and can thus complete a large part of the route with the lower-emission means of transport.This is followed by the transfer to the airplane and the last distance is completed with the faster means of transport, thus saving time. The following graphic gives an overview of the average transit times as well as the CO2 emissions per transport mode using the example of a T-shirt from Hong Kong.

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

Our goods are increasingly transported directly to the markets without making a detour via the central distribution centers in Germany. This enables us to shorten transport routes enormously and reduce the environmental impact of transport. For the shipment of our goods, we rely on recycled and reused transport packaging to avoid waste. In addition, when procuring new cardboard packaging for goods shipped from Germany, we only use certified cardboard packaging.

Targets in the field of packaging and logistics

30% REDUCTION OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BY 2030

We will reduce our single-use plastic used in packaging per item by 30% per unit compared to 2023. No hangers and suit bags are included in this target. To achieve this goal, we are examining, for example, which shipments can be made without a garment cover or where the film size can be reduced. In addition we aim at assessing alternative materials to replace plastic.

Current status: Increase of 4%
≥50% reduction in CO2 emissions (Scope 3) by 2030

We have set ourselves the goal of reducing Scope 3 emissions, which also include upstream transports (scope 3.4), by at least 50% by 2030 (in comparison to 2019). All scope 3 emissions – also including manufacturing of our products as a main driver - account for 95% of emissions across the company's value chain. For this reason, we strive to reduce our transport-related emissions, for example by optimizing transport flows and working closely with our transport service providers, thereby limiting our impact on the environment.

With our current target achievement levels, we are not yet at the level we would like to be, but we are striving for further improvements to achieve the set goal.

Current status: +23% (compared to 2019)

Sustainable development in the field of plastic packaging

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Total weight of all plastic packaging	1,297t	1,269t	1,192t	845t	1,002t	1,548t	1,804t	1,798t
Thereof recycled single-use plastic packaging	820t	742t	668t	523t	660t	940t	1,012t	1,088t
Recycled content within all plastic packaging	5%	25%	32%	42%	47%	47%	48%	59%

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