N Brown’s ‘game-changer for packaging waste’

N Brown Group, the online retailer and owner of Jacamo, JD Williams and Simply Be brands, is tackling its plastic waste with an innovative new packaging solution.

Since November 2024, it has switched to Hydropol garment bags – a biodegradable, recyclable polymer alternative to conventional plastics – for its own-brand products as part of its commitment to reducing its impact on the environment, while ensuring a high-quality product experience for its customers.

Cutting waste and microplastic pollution

Packaging has always been a key area of focus for the business’s sustainability initiatives, as it makes up a significant proportion of the plastic that is used across its operations. It wanted to cut down on waste and microplastic pollution, so the goal was to find a packaging solution that retained all the functionality of traditional plastic material in terms of strength, flexibility and transparency, while actively reducing the environmental impact caused by single-use plastics. It needed packaging that would be easy for customers to use and to dispose of responsibly if it was not reused – a more circular and sustainable alternative.

The business identified Maxim’s Polymax packaging, which features Hydropol in place of conventional plastic.

Liz Grierson, packaging manager at N Brown Group, says: “Bringing this innovative product to life has required passion, dedication and strong collaboration across internal teams, external stakeholders and suppliers. After identifying Maxim’s Polymax packaging with Hydropol technology as a promising solution to cut conventional plastic waste, significant work was undertaken to adapt the material into functional garment bags that meet the demands of retail operations.”

Unlike traditional plastic film, garment bags made using Hydropol can be recycled alongside paper, plastic, metal or food without any risk of contamination. N Brown Group’s customers can put Hydropol packaging in their kerbside recycling, where it will dissolve without the risk of damaging or polluting the environment or interfering with the recycling process. If it does go into a standard black bin, it will also biodegrade. It can even be dissolved in warm soapy water in the kitchen sink, leaving no harmful microplastics.

A game-changer

“More durable than traditional polybags, breathable and sealable, the Hydropol garment bag performs effectively through our supply chain,” says Joe Mountain, sustainability manager at N Brown Group. “Polymax is a solution to our single-use plastic waste problem. No microplastics, multiple disposal options and it dissolves in hot water. It is a sustainable innovation that doesn’t ask customers to compromise. It is a game-changer for packaging waste.”

Waste and sustainability targets

N Brown Group has now rolled out Polymax packaging made with Hydropol across its major sourcing territories. With a focus on garments, the retailer is using it across 32% of own-brand garment bags, which equates to around 3.65 tonnes that would otherwise be conventional plastic.

As it continues to expand its use of the new garment bags, N Brown expects to reduce single-use plastic by 40%. It is also exploring how to incorporate Polymax packaging across other product categories, such as accessories and homeware.

Positive customer feedback

There are now more than 1 million of the new polybags in circulation globally across N Brown Group brands. It says feedback from its customers has been positive, and shoppers are particularly impressed by the water-soluble quality, which adds a sense that the packaging is genuinely new and a better option.

“Hydropol offers fashion brands and retailers the opportunity to reinvent packaging as we know it,” says Mark Lapping, CEO of Aquapak Polymers. “N Brown will almost halve the use of conventional plastic by switching to the new garment bags, which provide optimum garment and merchandise protection, and reduce end of life harm to the environment in comparison with traditional forms of packaging.

“We hope other retailers and brand owners will take similar action to meet the needs of customers, shareholders and other stakeholders, while significantly reducing the spread of plastic pollution, and improving their sustainability credentials.”