More parcels are sent in Germany every year. But once used, the cardboard boxes often end up in the waste paper container. Does it have to be that way?
It’s red, has a zipper, can be folded up very small and still fits a lot in it: the reusable bag from the online retailer Tchibo. Tchibo customers are increasingly receiving their online orders in red reusable bags. And no longer in the classic cardboard boxes, which – once used – often find their way straight into the waste paper container.
Tchibo is trying to do something that has so far seemed almost impossible to achieve: online shipping should become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. And for good reason: According to the Federal Association of Parcel and Express Logistics, more than four billion packages were sent last year – every German received an average of 50 packages. The vast majority of them came in cardboard boxes that were then thrown away.
Parcel volumes in Germany have increased significantly again, particularly as a result of the Corona pandemic, reports Till Zimmermann from the Hamburg research institute Ökopol: “Especially in the Corona years, online trading has once again experienced enormous growth – and of course more parcels have been sent been.” More and more orders also mean an ever-increasing burden on the climate. Furthermore, further growth is forecast for the coming years.
It depends on the material
Against this background, the industry is now looking for new ways to send parcels more sustainably. A solution to the packaging waste that occurs could be reusable packaging like that from Tchibo. They can be reused several times and are sent back by the customer after receiving the delivery – regardless of whether he keeps the goods or not.
How often reusable packaging needs to be used to be more sustainable than a cardboard package depends on the material. Small reusable plastic bags are more sustainable after just a few uses, while a stronger reusable box has to be used more often, explains expert Zimmermann.
He examined the potential of multi-packaging for online retail at the Hamburg research institute Ökopol as part of the “Praxpack” research project. The aim was to use practical tests to research the weaknesses and strengths of the sustainable alternative. In addition to the Society for Packaging Market Research, several large online retailers have also taken part in the project – such as the shipping giant OTTO and Tchibo.
“Customers were thrilled”
For the trading company Tchibo, the “Praxpack” research project was one of several tests for the use of reusable packaging in their online retail. The Hamburg-based company sends around a million packages directly to its customers every year and is therefore familiar with the challenges of increasing package volumes: “The waste paper containers are always full, and that annoys us as end customers,” says Sina Schoenlein, who looks after the reusable bags at Tchibo: “As a company, we want to help reduce packaging waste. And of course also reduce the use of resources.”
Tchibo is currently running another test phase for reusable packaging. The online retailer has already sent an estimated 27,000 deliveries to customers in reusable shipping bags – many of the bags are now on their way for the second or third time. “This time the focus of the test is particularly on the logistical challenges, such as the need for cleaning and the durability of the bags,” says Schoenlein. Your first conclusion: Hardly any bag has ever been returned dirty or damaged.
And this despite the fact that Tchibo currently sends the bags to customers at random and does not charge a deposit for them. “The customers were very enthusiastic about the test and wanted us to continue working on it,” reports Sina Schoenlein.
Still are Reusable packaging not economical
But what at first glance sounds like a revolution in online trading also has its disadvantages: So far it has not been “economically feasible” for Tchibo, says Schoenlein. In particular, the return transport of the empty packaging is too expensive – Tchibo is currently paying the fees for returning each individual bag.
For researcher Zimmermann, who provided scientific support for the “Praxpack” project, economic efficiency is also a key factor that makes the use of reusable packaging more difficult. The purchase and especially the return transport of the packaging currently leads to considerable additional costs compared to conventional cardboard packages. Without a cost-effective and efficient system, the reusable solution is currently not competitive.
Response rates of 90 percent are required
There is already an idea of how return transport could be made cost-effective: an industry solution in online retail where there is a uniform solution for all retailers. You can imagine this like the deposit system for bottles, explains Zimmermann: “It would then no longer be the case that every retailer has their packaging that has to be returned to them. Instead, we would have a system in which this distribution of packaging is cleverly controlled.”
In addition to making it more economical for companies, a uniform solution could also reduce the additional practical effort for customers. Previous tests have shown that greater effort for customers reduces their willingness to return reusable packaging – and that is a problem. Only when the so-called return rates are high does reusable packaging really represent a more sustainable alternative. According to Zimmermann, the goal must be to achieve return rates of at least 90 percent.
EU regulation forces a rethink
The use of reusable packaging in online retail is currently in its infancy, and some Christmas presents will probably still be delivered in cardboard boxes. However, this is expected to change by 2030. A new European Union packaging regulation stipulates that the proportion of reusable packaging in online retail should increase to ten percent by 2030. Up to now, reusable packages and shipping bags still accounted for well under one percent of all packages.
Scientist Zimmermann from the Ökopol research institute considers this requirement to be fundamentally sensible. The packaging regulation would create an economic incentive to use reusable packaging for shipping and thus offer equal conditions for all retailers: “If we have such a quota, then we can assume that there will suddenly be a lot more movement in the market and also significantly more efficient return solutions will be made possible.”