Bec Percasky (left) and Kate Bezar are on a mission to reduce the impact of the e-commerce boom with The Better Packaging Co. Image: Supplied.

Add. To. Cart. Three little words that have come to define the way we shop. But the staggering surge in online retail has come with some quite significant costs to the planet; namely the avalanche of packaging waste that protects our purchases on their journey from A to B.

Bec Percasky and Kate Bezar are two New Zealand friends who are on a mission to reduce the environmental impact of the e-commerce boom with sleek packaging solutions made from sustainable materials.

The pair first crossed paths about 10 years ago while living on Waiheke Island, a 45-minute ferry ride from Auckland. Bec was working as the chief operations officer for shipping and tracking tech company Starshipit, and Kate was freelancing in branding and communications. Both shared a deep aversion to the sheer volume of packaging waste that was being generated by the surge in online shopping.

“I started in an industry that was just at the beginning of exploding,” reflects Bec of her four-and-a-half-year tenure at Starshipit. “It dawns on you how much additional packaging waste there is with that growth … everything is in an extra bag, and bubble wrap, and courier’s satchel or box.”

Solving e-commerce’s packaging crisis

The problem loomed large in their minds until 2017, when Bec stumbled upon an innovative zero-waste material created from calcium carbonate – building industry off-cuts – and recycled resin. Inspired by its potential, she approached Kate suggesting they investigate further. “The potential to reduce the amount of packaging waste in the world and to provide more sustainable packaging solutions – [Bec] knew, based on my history and knowing me as a person, that I was going to get super excited about that,” says Kate.

The pair began working on designs for eco-packaging satchels using the off-cut material. “One thing led to another”, explains Bec, and, in 2018, The Better Packaging Co. officially launched.

The company’s unique blend of eco credentials and slick aesthetics has since attracted a large cohort of like-minded businesses. From fashion to beauty, homewares and children’s essentials, The Better Packaging o. gives sustainably minded businesses the opportunity to implement their ethos all the way into the customer’s hands.

By Victoria Pearson