The Rise of Reusable Packaging: Understanding the Impact & Mapping a Path to Scale
Glossary
Glossary
A list of the key (industry-specific) terms and their meaning frequently used in the report.
Executive Summary
Packaging, in all its different forms, is ubiquitous across the fashion industry. This is no more evident than the single-use plastic and cardboard packaging that enables the burgeoning e-commerce market.
The Growing Plastic Problem
Images of plastic contaminating the marine environment, causing harm to wildlife and the ecosphere are embedded in the public consciousness. There is a growing consumer focus on reducing plastics, most notably single-use plastic packaging. The sense of urgency to tackle this issue is increasing from all sectors of society. This is no different in the fashion industry – single-use packaging is ubiquitous.
Single-use vs Reusable System
Methodology
For the purposes of this study, the ‘Fast-Track’ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, developed by the Technical University of Delft, was used to compare the environmental impact of single-use versus reusable packaging systems.
Findings
Findings
Considerations for Implementation
Considerations for Implementation
The purpose of this section is to take the findings from the impact assessment and present the key considerations for implementing a reusable system to ensure its future potential success.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The exponential growth of e-commerce, coupled with optimised global supply chains has meant that we are consuming more packaging than ever.56 Whilst the current system of single-use plastic provides a low-cost and highly functional solution, it often comes at the expense of the environment. Increased consumption of packaging is fuelling the continued extraction of fossil-derived raw materials, whilst low recycling rates for flexible plastic packaging are leading to the generation of huge amounts of plastic waste.
