PHILOMATH, Ore., April 13, 2021 – Softstar, a handcrafted shoe company in Philomath, Oregon, has introduced zero-waste shipping materials in the latest addition to its extensive sustainability efforts. Customers are responding with surprise and delight: no more bulky cardboard, plastic bags or miscellaneous packaging material to deal with!
The company, which operates out of a restored 1940s Oregon roller rink, has held sustainability as a core value for many years. Power from wind and solar energy, an employee garden and compost, and electric vehicle charging are just a few of the green features established at the workshop. In addition, Softstar is always exploring more ways to walk lighter on the earth.
It’s no secret that direct-to-consumer businesses generate considerable waste through the use of single-use packaging and shipping materials. Footwear in particular is a major offender as many shoes are traditionally shipped in a shoebox-within-a-box. While Softstar has always eschewed the shoebox and utilized recyclable and repurposed packing materials, the company sought to lessen the environmental impact of its shipping process even further by pursuing a zero-waste philosophy.
Enter RePack reusable packaging.
RePack has created durable and reusable Velcro bags that can be shipped, returned, cleaned and reused up to 50 times (or more) over their life cycle. When Softstar CEO Tricia Salcido was introduced to this solution, she was immediately on board. “Reusable shipping bags make so much sense for Softstar and our sustainability goals,” said Salcido. “We hope to see more companies like us utilize this option in the future. When customers receive their shoes, they simply fold the reusable bag with its prepaid USPS label and pop it in their mailbox to be returned for reuse. It is that simple!”
Softstar estimates that this switch to reusable bags will save over 4,000 pounds of cardboard and plastic waste from going to the landfill over the next year.
The company takes great care with every order from sewing to shipping. In a range of styles from baby moccasins to minimal running shoes for adults, Softstar shoes encourage a strong, healthy foundation from the ground up by allowing feet to use their full natural range of motion and flexibility.
About Softstar Shoes
Softstar has been designing and handcrafting minimal leather footwear since 1985. With an emphasis on high-quality, flexible materials that allow for free and natural movement, the company offers a range of ultra-comfortable and foot-healthy shoe styles for all ages. Each pair is handmade in-house with responsibly sourced materials. Softstar ships worldwide from its workshop in Philomath, Oregon.