Thursday, January 9, 2025
E-commerce packaging
What are the levers of improvement and the sector’s challenges for developing a sustainable economy ?
The e-commerce sector is booming, and customers want more sustainable packaging.
Salon Luxe Pack Edition speciale 2021 Paris Carreau du temple © L.d’Aboville
The main impact of e-commerce on the environment is in the transport of products.
“We have a large impact on the environment. The transport sector accounts for 16% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, which is enormous!” says Assia BELKHODJA.
DHL, the company that she represents, is part of the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) and has set itself the objective of switching 60% of its fleet to electric vehicles by 2030. Here, packaging plays an essential role, and so by reducing packaging mass and volume you significantly reduce the impact of deliveries. Let us note that with the boom in B2C e-commerce there are more and more package returns.
Another improvement lever is the raising of awareness, which seems to be lacking among the e-commerce players. Again, according to Assia BELKHODJA: “They should be better trained on the priorities and
challenges of sustainable development.” Every year more than 90 billion tonnes of waste can be traced to e-commerce worldwide.
challenges of sustainable development.” Every year more than 90 billion tonnes of waste can be traced to e-commerce worldwide.
“We have a large impact on the environment. The transport sector accounts for 16% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, which is enormous!”, Assia BELKHODJA – Fashion & eRetail Manager Europe – DHL
Since cardboard recycling is not neutral, HIPLI propose an alternative of a package that can be reused 100 times on a deposit principle. This logistical solution consisting of reusable polypropylene in a circular economy provides valuable lessons, with a better life-cycle inventory than cardboard or kraft paper. 180 brands have adopted it in the past year.
For its part, LACOSTE has succeeded in changing its packaging and void-filling process with less air, less volume and fewer materials, to achieve up to 67% reduction in its emissions.
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Article based on the conference E-COMMERCE PACKAGING, with the interventions of Sacha PROST, Founder – 8JS, Mélanie PÉNAUD, E-commerce Operations Manager – LACOSTE, Léa GOT, CEO – HIPLI, Assia BELKHODJA,
Fashion & eRetail Manager Europe – DHL.
Fashion & eRetail Manager Europe – DHL.