"Protecting 11,000 Trees Annually" Shinsegae Department Store Leads Ethical Shopping

Introduction of Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags and Packaging Made from Recycled Paper
Reuse of Paper Waste Generated at Stores Starting April
Annual Protection Effect Equivalent to 11,000 Trees

Shinsegae Department Store will fully introduce shopping bags and packaging made from recycled waste paper starting next month.

Shinsegae announced on the 30th that it collects about 6,000 tons of paper and boxes generated annually at its headquarters and 13 stores nationwide to produce eco-friendly shopping bags and packaging. By using 100% recycled paper containing waste paper, Shinsegae has satisfied the highest grade among the five levels of the 'Eco-friendly Package Standards' it established as the first in the industry.

Shinsegae Department Store, Eco-friendly Shopping Bags and Wrapping Paper
[Photo by Shinsegae].

Shinsegae expects to reduce the use of more than 6 million sheets of paper annually by introducing eco-friendly shopping bags and packaging. This is equivalent to protecting 11,000 trees. Ink usage has also been minimized. The design and strength of the shopping bags have been differentiated from existing ones. One-color printing was applied to the surface of the shopping bags and packaging. While applying Shinsegae's unique 'S' alphabet check design, the ink area was reduced and a gradient design was applied to the center of the shopping bag to highlight the texture of the recycled paper, adding an eco-friendly element to a sophisticated design.

To compensate for the weakness in strength when making shopping bags using only boxes that have been reused multiple times, Shinsegae mixed high-strength waste paper such as documents with Shinsegae boxes to increase the strength of the shopping bags. In addition to the shopping bags commonly used in stores, other shopping bags such as those used in VIP lounges will be completely replaced within this year.

Shinsegae has been leading resource circulation by establishing the 'Eco-friendly Package Standards' last year to create a space for responsible consumption. The Eco-friendly Package Standards is Shinsegae's proprietary eco-friendly system aimed at zero plastic and 100% recyclable packaging. It classifies packages into five grades?Excellent, Good, Average, Poor, and Very Poor?based on the use of recycled materials and recyclability. Since June last year, Shinsegae has introduced eco-friendly paper called 'Bagasse Pulp,' made from sugarcane fiber without using wood pulp, in its food halls, expecting to reduce about 25 tons of plastic annually.

Previously, Shinsegae was the first in the industry to eliminate paper flyers (2011) and shopping catalogs (DM, 2016) and introduced electronic receipts (2017). The electronic receipt campaign reduced about 60 million paper receipts last year. Every year during holidays, Shinsegae expands eco-friendly packaging, and this Lunar New Year, 80% of all gift sets were planned as reusable eco-friendly sets. In 2020, Shinsegae eliminated about 24 million plastic bags used annually. Since stopping their use, it has had the effect of planting 40,000 trees annually.