How Far Has UK Ecommerce Embraced Sustainable Packaging?

The UK has one of the most lucrative ecommerce markets in Europe, with around 50 million users. Our population is sitting at just short of 69.3 million, meaning nearly three quarters of us actively browse and buy goods online.

As each day passes, we’re becoming more digitally enabled, so this user base will continue to grow. But while ecommerce tends to take the spotlight for its accessibility and convenience, the spotlight’s starting to be stolen by another focus: sustainability. The sector is under pressure to switch up its operations to enable a model that has less of a negative impact on the environment.

So, as we near the end of another year, how far has sustainable ecommerce come?

And importantly, how far does it still have to go?

What is Sustainable Ecommerce?

Sustainable ecommerce is what’s involved in an online purchase from one end to end to another. It includes:

• Where the materials used to make the product are sourced from
• The type(s) of energy powering the factories manufacturing them
• How products are packaged, stored, and delivered

At Greyhound Box, we make up the sustainable packaging part of the ecommerce supply chain. Whether it’s the bespoke box that’s left on a doorstep or the packaging used to transport multiple products from factory to warehouse floor, we’re improving the environmental credentials of ecommerce packaging – supporting manufacturers and retailers alike. Boxes that protect both the products inside and the planet on the outside are well and truly having a moment.

And rightly so!

The Need for Speed in Ecommerce

Just this month, ecommerce giant, Amazon, announced it has widened its same-day delivery service to more than 80 UK towns and cities. Consumers and businesses can get their hands on products in mere hours – in the fastest case, just 75 minutes!

With products so easily at our fingertips, it’s easy to get carried away by tapping, clicking, and ordering from the comfort of the sofa. But we’re also becoming more aware, more interested, in the carbon footprint of these actions. Delivery need for speed was irresistible – the need for sustainable swaps was inevitable.

The Rise of Conscious Consumerism

Today, 50% of buyers not only prioritise sustainability when buying products, but consider other environmental and ethical factors when making a purchase. It’s known as ‘conscious consumerism’, and it’s spurring purposeful changes among the biggest and smallest online retailers looking to capitalise on this savvy market. So, what’s switching?

Along the broader value chain, key stakeholders (from your manufacturers to your logistics partners) are investing more into schemes like carbon offsetting, helping to mitigate the environmental impact of their activities. Moving to electric delivery vehicles and more localised, shorter supply chains has become the new standard for ecommerce. And when it comes to packaging, we’re seeing clients’ attitudes towards sustainability taking a turn for the better. It’s no longer just a need – it’s a want, too.

Environmental Considerations for Ecommerce

Many big brands are using incentivisation as a tool to encourage conscious consumerism. Take cosmetics powerhouse MAC’s ‘Back-To-MAC’ campaign, which encourages consumers to return their clean, empty products to MAC’s stores. Where possible, used MAC product packaging is recovered and repurposed. Materials that can’t be recycled are converted to energy.

Until March 2023, MAC incentivised consumers to take part in the programme by offering them a free lipstick. And you can see the appeal to this luxury cosmetics crowd – a MAC lipstick sits at around £25! But what’re the sustainability credentials of the packaging itself? And speaking more generally, the packaging we’re used to seeing within ecommerce as a whole?

What is Sustainable Ecommerce Packaging?

It’s taken time, but it seems as though we’re properly waving ‘goodbye’ to one-size fits all ecommerce boxes packed with fillers to keep products in place. Brands are seeing the value of bespoke packaging designs that sufficiently protect the goods inside and reduce the amount of ill-fitting stuffing. The response from consumers and businesses receiving their orders is far more positive, too, supporting the brand to better relationships with its target audience.

Within the supply chain itself, brands are favouring custom pallet boxes to store and transport multiple packages for similar reasons. Bespoke design opens a world of opportunities, such as:

Cost savings

The more tailored the box to fit to and secure the packages inside, the less chance there is of damage in transit, so product faults and returns are reduced.

Transport and logistics efficiencies

Forget Tetris-style stacking to fit as many industrial-sized boxes on a pallet! Bespoke packaging accounts for the measurements of every side and flap of a box, helping you to optimise the number that can fit onto a pallet and be moved in one go.

A more circular ecommerce economy

Quality cardboard packaging doesn’t just serve one aspect of the supply chain. When the right board grade is used, the box will withstand a certain amount of wear and tear, meaning it can be reused multiple times before it needs recycling or repurposing.

And that’s just the start!

Christmas 2024: A Sustainable Ecommerce Wonderland?

As the 2024 festive season gathers momentum, we’re feeling optimistic about how far sustainable ecommerce innovations have come. Over 7 in 10 orders from Amazon Prime members arrived on the same day, if not next, over Christmas last year. How this statistic will look for this year remains to be seen. But we’re confident about one thing!

Sustainable ecommerce is on the radar more than ever. We’ve got faith that brands, no matter their size or standing, will implement more environmentally friendly Christmas packaging this year.

Find out how to make your brand’s ecommerce packaging more sustainable for the golden quarter and beyond. Speak to our friendly team!