As eCommerce and Online Shopping Grows, Packaging Waste is a Problem
eCommerce and online shopping have been seeing big jumps of activity in recent years. In 2017 alone, eCommerce sales jumped by 16 percent in North America. More Canadians than ever before are going to online shopping for its speed, convenience, and savings. It’s so easy to order from a site like Amazon that we don’t often think about the packaging waste that is being created.
It’s estimated that there are approximately 16.5 billion packages shipped every year across Canada. The cardboard used for these packages equate to the tearing down of more than a hundred million trees. All of this packaging waste is an area of waste management that is going unnoticed by the majority of consumers, even in this era of wanting to make more environmentally-friendly choices. Though not all of this packaging waste is derived from online shopping, this is an area where use of packaging has jumped significantly in accordance with market demands.
For years, packaging waste and the cardboard used to ship product could be minimized and recycled. The patterns of purchasing were straightforward and easy. Corporate retail bought in bulk and had the necessary recycling programs in place to maximize the environmental-friendliness of their operations. Today, packaging for eCommerce does not separate product in bulk, instead going out as individual packages for delivery. Also, eCommerce products have up to four times as many touch points than product that go through regular retail.
Knowing that the average online shopping box is dropped an average of 17 times in transit, the packaging needs to be strong enough to successfully carry a product from supplier to customer. In a 2016 expose on online shopping, The New York Times went as far as to describe it as a ‘cardboard economy’.
The eCommerce packaging problem is well understood by those overseeing waste management in the online shopping industry. Thankfully, giants like Amazon are starting to make changes – implementing their Frustration-Free Packaging Program, replacing boxes for smaller shipments with envelopes, and ensuring products are shipped in their original packaging rather than doubling up. From 2007 to 2017, it’s claimed Amazon has cut down on their packaging by 500 million shipping boxes. Similar names in Canada’s online shopping industry have followed, including Walmart, L’Oreal, and others.
Responsible packaging practices are going to have to be a fundamental policy in online shopping moving forward. For those of us that believe in a zero waste economy, packaging waste is an area still in need of attention. As smaller eCommerce companies in Toronto, the GTA, and across Canada continue to grow, this is something to examine. Thankfully, a number of Toronto small businesses have already identified opportunities to cut down on packaging waste, eliminating plastic, re-using cardboard boxes, and more.
eCommerce infrastructure is only going to continue growing. By implementing environmentally-friendly practices today and minimizing packaging waste, that’s sure to produce a healthy future for us all. Leaders like Amazon are doing good addressing parts of the packaging problem however there’s still a lot to be done. Just look at the amount of Amazon Prime boxes found across Canadian cities. Last year, there was millions of items shipped through Prime. As a Toronto recycling company committed to minimizing landfill waste in the city, we hope to continue playing a part in reducing packaging waste and addressing society’s needs for better waste management.
