Case Study | MERSEA
CASE STUDY
From Coastal Inspiration to Ocean Impact: How MERSEA Built a Packaging Journey Rooted in Purpose
- 4+ year of custom recycled poly mailers with exceptional print quality and brand consistency
- 14,355 lbs of recycled plastic diverted from landfill-bound waste streams
- Early adoption of Sway seaweed-based polybags for the Voyageur denim collection
- A packaging strategy that continues to evolve alongside MERSEA's sustainability goals
Meet MERSEA
MERSEA's story began in 2013, when childhood friends Lina Dickinson and Melanie Bolin launched a brand rooted in a shared desire to create something meaningful. What started with coastal-inspired fragrances has since grown into a nationally recognized apparel and lifestyle company.
Today, MERSEA is a WBENC-certified business carried in more than 1,300 retail locations. The brand is known for products rooted in connection, adventure, and the pursuit of better—while maintaining a commitment to thoughtful sourcing and responsible production.
MERSEA partners with artisan makers and manufacturers worldwide, prioritizing craftsmanship, ethical practices, and environmental stewardship. As co-founder Melanie Bolin puts it, MERSEA believes in doing things really well, or not at all.
Packaging for a Growing Brand
As MERSEA’s eCommerce orders grew, so did their packaging volume.
When they dove into a full rebrand in 2022, they came to an important question: were their shipping materials actually living up to their values? The answer was honest—not yet.
With more orders going out the door every day, they needed packaging that could:
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Reflect MERSEA's coastal aesthetic and brand integrity
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Create a memorable and consistent unboxing experience
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Support long-term scaling without compromising quality
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Ensures that as the brand expands, their footprint shrinks
Most importantly, they wanted to feel good about every package leaving their warehouse—and set the foundation for deeper, long-term progress for their brand and their community.
A Packaging Partnership Built on Shared Values
When MERSEA began searching for a packaging partner, they weren't simply comparing products or pricing.
As a brand deeply inspired by the coast and the spirit of travel, ocean health has always been close to their hearts. They wanted a partner whose values aligned with their own.
That search led them to EcoEnclose.
MERSEA was drawn to EcoEnclose's commitment to transparency, circularity, and ocean-conscious packaging solutions. Just as importantly, they found a partner invested in helping them improve over time.
Custom Recycled Poly Mailers
EcoEnclose's custom recycled poly mailers provided the durability, performance, and visual appeal MERSEA needed to support a growing eCommerce operation.
Following their rebrand, MERSEA transitioned to custom mailers made with 100% recycled content. As their packaging program evolved, they later introduced a 50% recycled-content mailer customized for their Voyageur denim line. Together, these solutions helped MERSEA reduce virgin plastic use while maintaining the premium look and feel of their curated coastal aesthetic.
There's a common misconception that recycled plastic produces dull colors or rough textures. MERSEA's experience proved otherwise. Their signature palette and branding reproduced beautifully, allowing them to stay true to their visual identity.
Since launching their custom mailers, MERSEA’s packaging has become a positive, consistent touchpoint that extends the brand experience long after customers place an order.
Custom Sway Seaweed-Based Polybags
As EcoEnclose continued pushing packaging innovation forward, one emerging material immediately resonated with the MERSEA team.
Sway's seaweed-based polybags are made with regeneratively farmed seaweed, a renewable resource that can support healthier marine ecosystems while reducing reliance on conventional plastics.
For a brand inspired by the coast, the fit was obvious.
MERSEA’s Voyageur denim collection is produced in a B Corp-certified factory in Paraguay using water-saving technologies. Choosing seaweed-based polybags felt like a natural extension of that story. It also reflected MERSEA’s continual commitment to environmental stewardship at every stage of business.
MERSEA quickly became an early adopter of Sway, helping bring ocean-positive packaging to market.
Four Years of Progress and a New Frontier
MERSEA's packaging journey demonstrates how incremental improvements can create meaningful impact over time.
Recycled Poly Mailer Impact
Across MERSEA's mailer program, recycled-content packaging has delivered measurable environmental benefits compared to equivalent packaging made without recycled content:
Recycled Plastic Used
CO₂ Avoided
Water Saved
Energy Saved
The program has also conserved the equivalent of 65 barrels of oil, demonstrating the powerful downstream benefits of choosing recycled materials.
Sway Seaweed-Based Polybag Impact
MERSEA's first 5,000 Sway bags represent more than a material change. They represent an investment in the next generation of circular packaging.
Seaweed Sourced
Carbon Absorbed
Excess Nutrients Removed
of Habitat Remediated
The seaweed used in these bags helped remediate marine habitats and support biodiversity in coastal ecosystems.
For MERSEA, these outcomes represent more than packaging metrics. They reflect a commitment to ensuring that product sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, and customer experience all work together to support the company's broader mission.
What Early Adoption Makes Possible
MERSEA's decision to embrace seaweed-based packaging reflects a mindset shared by many sustainability leaders: meaningful progress happens through action.
Their journey demonstrates that sustainability doesn't require perfection from the start.
The company began by transitioning to recycled-content mailers, creating an immediate improvement. From there, they continued exploring new opportunities and pushing their packaging program forward.
Today, they're helping introduce innovative materials to customers while proving that sustainable packaging can strengthen both brand experience and environmental impact.
Every brand that chooses to test, adopt, and champion new solutions helps move the industry forward.
The Bigger Picture of Packaging Progress
Transparency strengthens customer relationships. When MERSEA shared its Sway x EcoEnclose partnership on Instagram, customers responded enthusiastically. Sharing the "why" behind packaging decisions can turn operational changes into opportunities for deeper engagement.
Packaging impact extends beyond delivery. Sustainable packaging only reaches its full potential when customers understand how to properly recycle, reuse, or compost it. Education is an essential part of closing the loop.
Innovation requires the right partner. MERSEA wanted more than a supplier. They wanted a partner committed to helping them continuously improve. Through ongoing collaboration and access to emerging solutions, EcoEnclose has helped transform sustainability goals into measurable action.
Consistency creates credibility. From responsible manufacturing partners to innovative packaging materials, MERSEA has built a supply chain that reflects its values at every stage of the customer journey.
Packaging That Grows With Your Mission
MERSEA's story demonstrates what's possible when packaging becomes an extension of a brand's purpose.
What began as a search for packaging that better reflected the company's values evolved into a four-year partnership built on shared goals, continuous improvement, and innovation. From custom recycled mailers to pioneering seaweed-based materials, each step has brought MERSEA closer to the future it wants to help create.
At EcoEnclose, that's what partnership looks like. We help brands build packaging programs that evolve with them, combining proven sustainable solutions with emerging innovations that drive long-term impact.
Make packaging your brand’s next easy sustainability win with EcoEnclose.