Although this means of purchasing goods which otherwise would take an age to source and physically seek out has been made easier and more convenient, I was aghast at the poor standard of packaging: often-times an overlarge cardboard box, stuffed with bubble wrap, polystyrene beads or paper straw, with the already sensibly boxed item nestled in one corner. Once unwrapped, the issue of how best to recycle the cardboard and plastic packaging was (and still is) an issue. We have a recycling centre nearby that thankfully handles cardboard, which I guess goes off to be pulped and transformed into cardboard boxes for use by online retailers.
Something must have changed recently, as I have of late been receiving items that are sensibly packaged, whether placed in robust envelopes or multiple orders packed neatly into a single box. Has there been a transformation in the way these retailers have approached packaging?
Delving further reveals that, according to one unnamed e-commerce giant, “packaging plays a critical role in customer delivery experience, and [it is] committed to delivering products safely and sustainably.” It has invested in materials, processes and technologies that have reduced per-shipment packaging weight by 38% and eliminated 1.5 million tonnes of packaging.
Where smaller products are suited to flexible packaging, such as padded envelopes or bags, (which are 75% lighter than boxes), they have reduced the use of corrugated boxes by over 35%. It is using fitting algorithms to reduce packaging specifically for multi-item shipments. There are commitments to making all packaging recyclable by the end of 2023.
All very laudable and good to witness first hand. I still worry about the amount of energy that is used in recycling and would have thought that they would profit more if the packaging could be re-used. Just a thought, but could the deliverer also collect and return used packaging for re-use?