Asking the question
What decisions move us toward a more sustainable future?
When it was time to reorder Macy’s shopping bags, that’s the question we asked. It inspired others across the organization, too, who could also see the opportunity for high impact. Together we explored materials and a series of complex dependencies from state regulations to stock on hand, then presented a plan that reduced single-use poly bags by 12%, increased recycled content, and netted savings of $1.4M. Simple question, big change.
The white bag was classic Macy’s, but the environmental downsides of the white paper were off brand. Instead, we took inspiration from the tones in Macy’s iconic architecture and added warmer colors to the secondary palette. This made unbleached kraft paper a natural choice, uniting past and future purpose in a signature element of the brand.
Through a collaboration with the nonprofit OceanCycle, we reduced inventory further by offering a reusable tote made of ocean-bound plastics. (Meaning they’re collected seaside before salt water has a chance to diminish their suitability for recycling.) This set Macy’s on a path to become the world’s largest user of ocean-bound plastics, supporting economies of global seaside communities and protecting oceans worldwide. While it didn’t reach that scale due to the pandemic shutdown, the totes were ready at registers when stores reopened, giving customers a more sustainable choice.
Contribution
Executive creative direction. Introduced sustainability strategy and led cross-functional program reinvention.