Packaging & Logistics
Measures
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:
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 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.
Optimize packaging
- Sales packaging
Examples of sales packaging include shopping bags and gift boxes. Here, HUGO BOSS uses FSC®-certified paper almost exclusively. We also eliminated the plastic lamination for the FSC®-certified shopping bags and gift boxes in 2017, so they can be recycled after use. Wherever possible, we use post-consumer-recycled material for our shopping bags. Products such as suits are sold to our customers in garment bags, to protect the clothing. To minimize the sustainability impact here, recycled material is used almost exclusively for their production.
- Product packaging
All product packaging for bodywear and socks has been switched over to FSC®-certified paper. We are also testing a variety of more sustainable alternatives in additional categories. Here, we also pay attention to more space-saving versions in shipping, to reduce CO2 emissions.
- Equipment from recycled materials
The clothes hangers we use in our own stores are made mainly from Fasal® BIO, an innovative product that is obtained as a by-product of wood processing and that can also be recycled.
- Packaging in logistics centers
The HUGO BOSS logistics centers pay much attention to reusing cardboard packaging. In 2019, almost 844t cardboard boxes were reused for shipping from German distribution centers. When we source new boxes for merchandise dispatched from Germany, we use only FSC®-certified cardboard. On average, they consist of 85% recycled material.
For hanging products, we use plastic clothes hangers for shipping from our suppliers to our shops. We have already implemented a return system for these clothes hangers in Germany and Switzerland, in cooperation with a service provider: The service provider picks up the hangers, inspects them, and sends the reusable hangers back to us. Hangers that can no longer be used are recycled. We intend to expand this program to additional countries.
