Our Approach to Plastic & Packaging 🌍

Plastic is part of modern life. It’s convenient, cheap, and everywhere.

But it also lingers, in our oceans, in our soil, and in the systems we rely on. It doesn’t simply disappear, and the long-term impact is something we can’t ignore.

At Gringo, we made a decision years ago to start reducing our reliance on plastic across our packaging and supply chain.

Not because it was easy.

Not because it was expected.

But because it felt like the right thing to do.

A gradual shift, not an overnight claim

We won’t claim to be 100% plastic-free because we’re not, no one is aside from via technicality's and loopholes.

And we think honesty matters more than perfection.

What we have done is rethink how our products are packed, shipped, and protected at every stage of their journey.

Traditionally, garments would arrive individually wrapped in plastic. It was efficient, low-risk and industry standard.

We chose to move away from that.

Today, many of our clothing products are rolled, bundled, and tied using string, then grouped together and packed into hessian sacks. Inside those sacks, there’s still a single protective liner. Because without it, moisture during transit could damage the products.

It’s a balance. Protection matters. But so does progress.

That single liner replaces what used to be dozens or sometimes hundreds of individual plastic bags.

It’s a small structural change with a meaningful impact.

Choosing the harder route

We’ve made similar decisions across other parts of our range.

Where bubble wrap was once the default - for example, protecting mirrors - we’ve worked with our suppliers to shift toward cardboard-based alternatives. Individual boxing, layered paper protection, and recyclable cushioning have replaced plastic-heavy solutions.

These choices come with trade-offs.

They can be more expensive.

They can increase the risk of damage.

They require more time, more care, and more coordination.

And not every supplier welcomed the change at first.

But instead of forcing it, we worked through it together - step by step, finding solutions that worked for everyone involved.

Because real change doesn’t happen through pressure. It happens through partnership.

Working with, not against, our suppliers

We work with independent makers across Nepal, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Many of whom operate on a small scale, often in family-run workshops.

For them, materials, processes, and costs matter deeply.

So our approach has always been collaborative.

We share ideas.

We test alternatives.

We adapt together.

Over time, this has led to wider adoption of:

• Natural fibres like jute and cotton
  
• Recyclable packaging materials
  
• Reduced reliance on single-use plastics
  

Not perfectly. Not universally. But meaningfully. Real human change.

And increasingly, others in the industry are beginning to follow similar paths - which is something we’re genuinely proud of.

Progress over perfection

This isn’t a finished journey, but something we are growing and adapting everyday.

There are still areas where plastic remains necessary. Particularly where it protects products from damage, waste, or unnecessary loss.

And in those cases, reducing overall impact sometimes means making balanced decisions, not absolute ones.

But every year, we look for ways to improve.

To reduce a little more.

To rethink a little better.

To do things a little differently.

Because we believe that small, consistent changes - made honestly - are far more powerful than big claims that aren’t backed up in reality.

Why it matters

For us, this isn’t just about packaging.

It’s about responsibility - to the people we work with, the products we sell, and the environment we all depend on.

We don’t expect to solve the problem overnight.

But we do believe in doing our part.

And if enough people, businesses and customers alike choose to take those steps, however small, it adds up to something much bigger.