Earth Day 2022 Art Installation Sponsored by Sendle Exhibits the Environmental Impact of Online Shopping

Sendle today unveiled a 10-foot installation of a grizzly bear by Canadian artist, Laurence Vallières, at Lake Union Park to mark Earth Day.

The sculpture is constructed of recycled cardboard boxes and highlights the environmental impact of the 165 billion packages shipped in the US each year. 

Seattle is the hub of the US shipping and logistics industry and as a leader in sustainable shipping with a net-zero 2030 target and having offset 21 billion miles of carbon to date, Sendle is also calling for an ‘environmental awakening’ across this high polluting industry. 

In the US, Sendle’s package volumes increased by 124% in 2021 compared to the previous year after two years of pandemic-induced online shopping and demand for next-day delivery.

The captivating installation is a reminder to consumers that there’s an environmental cost to our online shopping addiction and coincides with President Joe Biden’s visit to Seattle on Earth Day where he will unveil plans for growing the clean energy economy.

For the installation, Sendle and Vallières chose to hero the endangered grizzly bear because there are only 1,500 left in the US, outside of Alaska, as a result of habitat loss and the changing climate. Vallières, who is well known for her cardboard animal sculptures, constructed the grizzly bear in a Seattle warehouse.

The public is invited to interact with the grizzly bear while taking a moment to reflect on their online shopping and how it impacts the planet. Accompanying the sculpture is Sendle’s Earth Day campaign that highlights the sustainable actions consumers, small businesses and the Shipping & Logistics industry need to take to help end the climate crisis. 

 “Whether or not we shop online isn’t the question. eCommerce is here to stay. But we can all do our part to make online shopping more sustainable.”

Veena Harbaugh, Sendle’s Director of Sustainability

“As consumers, we have options. Who we buy from and how we purchase and ship are powerful choices that have a cascading effect along the supply chain, and can either harm or regenerate the world around us,” added Harbaugh. 

“I am incredibly proud to be collaborating with Sendle for this project,” says Vallières, the commissioned artist behind ‘The Grizzly Truth.’

“Sustainability and the conservation and protection of Earth’s creatures are at the forefront of my work and this project furthers my mission as an environmentally-conscious artist,” commented Vallières.

Following the conclusion of the Earth Day activation, the sculpture will be broken down and recycled by Republic Services Cardboard Recycling Center in Seattle.

Sendle Invites Consumers to Think Before They Ship

As part of its ongoing initiatives to educate the public about sustainable practices, Sendle invites consumers to think before they ship and shop from sustainability-minded businesses that are working to mitigate the negative impact of eCommerce on the planet. 

Since its launch, Sendle has recorded remarkable and consistent year-on-year growth, marked by product innovations and strategic partnerships.

Last year, Sendle raised a $35 million Series C funding round to expand further in the United States and bolster its stateside operations. The company is the first 100% carbon neutral shipping carrier in the US and is a Certified B Corporation.