Box of the Month: How Bumboo’s use of sustainable packaging protects their products and conveys brand values

The demand for sustainable packaging continues to grow, not just through consumers preferring eco-friendly options but also with the rise in ethical businesses wanting to enshrine sustainability throughout their processes, products and supply chain.

Bumboo lead the way in researching and sourcing ethical product alternatives to make their customers’ lives easier and more eco-friendly. Their team spoke to ASC Direct to explain how sustainable packaging was an essential part of their offering to customers.

The Client: Bumboo

Bumboo were the first company to launch bamboo toilet paper on to the UK market in 2019. Chloe Green, Head of Marketing, explains, “Our founder, Rob, is always looking for better ideas to improve our customers lives sustainably and one of those was sourcing bamboo toilet paper because of its inherently sustainable properties. But Bumboo isn’t just about a product, it’s about incorporating ethical practices from start to finish.”

Huw James, Supply Chain, continues, “Once we had established our bamboo toilet paper, we started researching options for cleaning products. We identified UK-based alternatives that used a refillable bottle. Customers could buy the bottle and then only had to purchase the pods and mix with water to have an effective cleaning solution. This dramatically reduced the use of plastic, and even cut transport costs, since we weren’t shipping bottles of liquid. With the products sourced, we needed a supplier to help with the packaging.”

Lewis Plowman, Head of Product Design, picks up the story, “We’re all passionate about sustainability and explore every aspect of production. Our aim is to use the optimal amount of any product to maintain the highest standards and reduce waste. Once I looked at the packaging, it had to be completely plastic-free, bespoke to the product and able to show our brand values.”

The Challenge:

For Bumboo, the packaging had to protect the refillable bottles and share the brand ethos with customers. Huw continues, “We spoke to a number of box suppliers about our requirements. We wanted the boxes to  be made from recycled materials and be 100% recyclable. They had to be bespoke made for our products so they would arrive in pristine condition and be able to withstand handling and transportation. Additionally the packaging had to be cost-effective and be made in the UK.”

It was essential it could be printed with brand messages and look fabulous. Lewis confirms, “First impressions are really important and we recognise the value our packaging has to tell our story. We want people to love our boxes and reuse it if possible. Packaging is such an inherent and important part of our deliveries that we want to absolutely maximise the value it can provide.”

The Solution:

Designing packaging that is sustainable and impresses customers is something ASC Direct do every day. The team picked up on Bumboo’s requirements immediately. Huw confirms, “We found the team at ASC Direct really responsive – they came back to us quickly with suggestions and ideas to help.” Samples were particularly useful for the team. “We wanted to check the effectiveness of different thicknesses of cardboard, as our products need the best protection, but we don’t want to use more material than we need to. The samples really helped.”

Lewis was particularly keen on knowing what the final printed boxes would look like. “Cardboard isn’t the best material for printing so I was keen to see how the finished artwork would look. The team sent various samples of other printed boxes so I could form an idea of what it would look like. There was a lot of going back and forth to get it right and the ASC team were supportive every step of the way.”

The box styles were agreed and cutter guides supplied so Lewis could provide the final artwork for printing on the boxes.

The Result:

Feedback on the boxes has been brilliant – the team are really impressed. Lewis confirms, “We’ve only just started using the boxes but internally the feedback has been great. Given the printing is on corrugated, the quality is excellent, much better than expected. I may even tweak the design now I can see how effective the printing is.”

Huw agrees, “The team at ASC Direct were responsive and knowledgeable and they made it easy to get the best result for our business.”

With the new packaging, Bumboo customers can immediately recognise their delivery has arrived. Chloe continues, “As soon as our customers receive our packaging, they learn more about the products and the work that is being done, for example, every purchase supports a rewilding project. Our customers care about the environment and the impact they are having, and we want them to see they are helping to make a difference.”

“Our standards are really high when it comes to products and packaging so we were thrilled that ASC Direct were able to meet and exceed those standards with beautiful boxes we all love.”

Chloe Green, Head of Marketing

As Bumboo goes from strength to strength, so the team at ASC Direct will continue to support them with high quality packaging that fits their products and meets their brief. It’s brilliant when our customers are happy with their packaging, and we know it’s contributing to their success.