70 percent respondents could pay more for products if they were packaged this way
The importance of e-commerce in our society has increased dramatically during the pandemic. Although online shopping is much safer because it does not contact people to use the large amount of materials required for boxes and fillers, it is still used only from the most sustainable materials. Sustainability in parcel packaging is no less important to consumers, with a global survey by Trivium package and Boston Consulting Group showing that about 70 percent its participants could pay more for a product that is packaged in a sustainable way.
According to the Queen Rasa, the representative of the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania for Public Relations, the total number of parcels is growing every year in 2021. quarters amounted to 69.06 million. postal items, ie 18.6%. more than in the corresponding 2020 quarters. 52.4 percent. these items consisted of postal correspondence (letters), and 47.6 per cent. – postal parcels.
The largest providers in 2021 (Q1-Q3) in terms of the total number of parcels were AB Lietuvos paštas (54.6 per cent of the parcel market), UAB DPD Lietuva (14.7 per cent), Omniva LT (12.4 per cent). . ), the representative of RRT informs.
True, change is already being sought at the state level. 2020 14 European countries, including Lithuania, have signed a voluntary European plastics pact to address the problems posed by the single use of plastic packaging and products.
In order to discuss the sustainability aspects of parcel packaging, several major parcel suppliers were interviewed, who spoke more about what parcel packaging consists of, how much it is and what changes can be made or expected in the future to make it more sustainable.
Cardboard boxes are the most sustainable way of packaging
According to Monika Pulokė, Project Manager of the Communications Department of the Lithuanian Post, Lithuanian Post is already focusing on environmentally friendly solutions and range.
“Already about 80 percent. The packaging materials sold at Lithuanian post offices are made of recycled materials – cardboard boxes, paper, cardboard carvings, starch granules, decomposing shipping bags, etc. According to the sales of packaging materials, envelopes, bubble envelopes, bags are usually bought and then cardboard boxes follow.
Thousands of parcels travel through Lithuania Post every day, we notice certain tendencies in parcel packaging – it is possible to send parcels more than once, as well as frequent sending plastic – the item is sent wrapped in a thick layered plate. The latter method is not the most environmentally friendly, ”said M. Pulokė.
According to Tomas Vaišvila, Head of Communication at DPD Lietuva UAB, shipments are always packed in cardboard boxes, if from a sustainability perspective, this is the most sustainable way of packaging so far, as the packaging is fully recyclable, it can be used several times until the box loses shape.
“It’s mostly recyclable packaging, the most unsustainable way is plastic. It can be used in a wide variety of ways, there are bubble envelopes, a common way to pack phones or tablets. There is still repackaging when there are things in the box to protect various breakable items. It can be a cardboard box and a bubble wrap and filler, as our always recommendation is that that box be completely full of something not shaken during transport. “Packaging materials are used a lot and, if necessary, to be used before they are completely formed, everything is made of plastic – it is transported to the rubbish bin and they are no longer packed, and often unsorted,” said T. Vaišvila.
Tomas Vaišvila
Ms Pulokė also supported this idea, emphasizing that it is not necessary to choose a new box every time – parcel boxes can be used more than once, the most important thing is that it is durable, unbroken and can really withstand one trip. The means of filling, which are usually discarded, can also be used several times.
One solution is a packaging deposit system
According to DPD Lietuva’s head of communication, people are still being held hostage to what the manufacturer’s seller is packing into, but there are various ways to encourage the reuse of the same packaging.
“If you take Amazon or eBay as an example, it’s really very well packaged, but it uses a lot of packaging. You can buy a phone, but the box you get will be twice the size of the phone. There are solutions in this place, but no such solutions have been seen in Lithuania yet. For example, packaging deposit systems in the US.
Reusable packaging manufacturers make packaging out of sustainable materials, but they don’t wear out like a cardboard box because it gets wet once and for all, at best I sort it into paper. That system interacts with various e-shops and they buy those packages as a deposit, which returns, it gets such a circular economy, it is reusable and it returns to the manufacturer. In this way, the packaging lives longer, but I have not seen such a model in Lithuania yet, ”said T. Vaišvila.