Macy’s X OceanCycle
“How can the decisions I make serve a more sustainable future?”
That’s the question I ask each day, with the business, its people, their communities, and the environment in mind. So when it was time to reorder shopping bags at Macy’s, I led the effort to explore more sustainable options because of the potential for considerable and lasting impact.
Bronze facade details at Macy's on 34th Street in NYC
Natural wood fixtures in the small format store design
Supergraphics in our San Francisco tech offices
Substrate considerations led to a unifying refresh of the brand identity. Taking inspiration from the architecture and vintage Macy’s totes, we introduced rich, warm colors into the palette. This made unbleached kraft paper a compatible design choice for the shopping bags, and a pre-emptive step in states that had not yet banned single-use plastic bags.
We replaced part of the paper inventory with reusable bags. In collaboration with OceanCycle and our manufacturer, we developed a bag made of “ocean-bound” plastics, a term for those collected seaside before salt water has a chance to diminish their suitability for recycling.
Thoughtful designs by fashion designer Natali Germanotta echoed the ocean, and the shapes of countries where the ocean-bound material was sourced. These and other branded options were offered for sale at checkout with reuse incentives for loyalty customers.
The impact
The program reduced our production of single-use poly bags by 12%, utilized higher recycled content, and saved $1.4M in expense. At launch Macy’s became the world’s largest user of ocean-bound plastics, supporting economies of global seaside communities and protecting oceans worldwide. Small steps, big change.