Lack of packaging knowledge threatens sustainable future of web retail

Inadequate knowledge of Web Retail Packaging (WRP) is a threat to the sustainable future of internet-based retail in the coming years. The main risk is, that the lessons learned during the 1960-2010 “brick-retail” boom, are not being applied as “click-retailing” is taking off.
This warning was shared during the starting conference of the packaging exhibition Empack by Michael Nieuwesteeg, managing director of NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre.
Web retailing is growing more than 10% annually, with 15 million packages delivered daily now globally as consumers increasingly are buying physical products online.
Two packaging-related issues may arise from this; first, the environmental impact of the choices made in packaging materials and methodologies throughout the supply and recycle chain, is considerable. Furthermore, packaging may contribute inadvertently to overconsumption in combination with product waste.
According to NVC, these risks should be avoided by raising awareness throughout the supply and recycle chain that these two risks exist. Subsequently, appropriate action must be taken to ensure that an adequate level of knowledge is made available within retailers, service providers, manufacturers and packaging suppliers. Only by doing this, packaging can contribute to a further sustainable growth of worldwide web retailing (Press Release NVC, 27 March 2013).