Outerknown Accelerates Its Plastic-Free Journey with Vela™ Packaging

Outerknown was founded with a clear mission: create products that respect the planet and the people who make them. As one of the first apparel brands built on a total commitment to sustainability, Outerknown has consistently pushed the industry forward—championing responsible materials, fair labor practices, and durability over disposability.

Packaging has always played a central role in their sustainability roadmap, and as the brand continued to scale globally, the challenge became even more pressing: how to fully eliminate plastic from their operations while maintaining the protection and presentation their products require.

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The Packaging Challenge

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Like many apparel companies, Outerknown relied on traditional plastic polybags to protect garments during storage, shipping, and fulfilment. While effective in some ways, plastic came with significant drawbacks:

- It conflicted with the brand’s long-standing environmental values

- It added unnecessary waste to the supply chain

. It made recycling difficult for customers and partners

- It undermined the transparency and consistency of Outerknown’s sustainability narrative

To align packaging with their overall mission, Outerknown set a clear intention: move beyond plastic entirely and adopt a paper-based solution that could maintain the same level of protection while making a measurable improvement in environmental impact. Their goal wasn’t simply to replace one material with another. They wanted a solution that performed reliably, worked across multiple logistics hubs, and reflected the brand’s commitment to doing better wherever possible.

Why Outerknown Chose Vela™

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Outerknown explored multiple packaging alternatives before selecting Vela™. Several criteria guided their decision:

- Recyclability: Vela™ bags are curbside recyclable through standard paper streams—making end-of-life clear and intuitive.

- Certified materials: With FSC™-certified paper, Vela™ aligned with Outerknown’s strict sourcing standards.

- Transparency and performance: Outerknown needed a bag that could protect garments while still allowing easy product identification. Vela™ Plus offered the right balance of strength, durability, and semi-transparency without resorting to plastic.

- Ease of adoption: Vela™ fit seamlessly into existing workflows, allowing Outerknown’s fulfilment partners to integrate paper-based bags with minimal operational changes.

For a brand built on accountability and measurable progress, Vela™ offered a practical and scalable way to bring packaging in line with Outerknown’s long-term sustainability commitments.

Implementation: From Testing to Full Rollout

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The transition to Vela™ bags followed a structured process designed to ensure operational efficiency and consistent product protection. It began with a detailed phase of material testing, during which Outerknown’s operations team assessed the durability of the bags, their ability to protect garments from dust and moisture, and the clarity of product information once packed. The tensile and burst strength of the paper met the functional requirements across a wide range of apparel categories.

This was followed by an extensive fit assessment. Multiple bag sizes were tested against Outerknown’s diverse inventory, from lightweight shirts and sweaters to bulkier jackets and bottoms. The priority was to streamline the number of packaging SKUs while ensuring every product had a secure and well-fitting solution.

Once material performance and sizing were validated, Outerknown worked closely with its fulfilment and warehouse partners to ensure a smooth packaging integration across daily workflows. This required updates to handling practices and sealing procedures, supported by training sessions across different locations to guarantee a smooth transition.

After these stages were completed, Vela™ bags were progressively rolled out across Outerknown’s global logistics network. The migration was carried out without disrupting fulfilment operations or compromising the customer experience, an essential requirement for a fast-moving e-commerce brand.

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Looking ahead

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Outerknown’s shift to Vela™ bags is part of a broader transformation to remove plastic wherever possible. The next steps include expanding paper-based packaging across more product categories and continuing to explore innovative materials that support a circular economy.

As both teams refine and scale the collaboration, the shared objective remains clear: create packaging systems that protect products while respecting the planet.

Interested in transforming your packaging workflow? Discover how Vela™ can support your brand’s next sustainability milestone.