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Royal Mail and Amazon have this week announced new packaging waste reduction milestones, after new innovations helped to slash the use of plastic across their operations and deliveries.
Royal Mail revealed it has met a 2030 target for a 25 per cent reduction in waste volumes seven years early, after replacing traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, with more durable, reusable versions which last up to four years and are more compatible with automated machinery.
The move helped the firm save 2,000 tonnes of waste last year, reducing its waste by 27 per cent against a 2020/21 baseline. It came alongside other waste reduction measures, such as a reuse programme for pallets and new mail bag practices that substitute single-use plastic cable ties for reusable ‘hook and loop’ straps.
The new sleeves, which were designed and manufactured in-house, cut waste by 10 per cent alone last year and helped Royal Mail achieve its target of reducing waste by 25 per cent compared to its base year.
As well as improving efficiency by increasing the capacity of each trolley, the new sleeves are made from fully recyclable corrugated plastic and 30 per cent recycled material. Known internally as ‘Yorks’, the sleeves are used up to 3,000 times over an expected lifespan.
Royal Mail also confirmed it now recycled, reused or diverted 98 per cent of its remaining waste.
“We have not only met our waste reduction target, but have done so seven years ahead of schedule,” said Zebrina Hanly, Royal Mail’s head of environment. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the innovation from our engineering team as well as the hard work of our posties and wider operational staff.
“Our mission isn’t over, however, and we’re continuing to work hard to maintain our position as the UK’s greenest delivery option.”
As well as cutting waste from its delivery operations, Royal Mail’s ‘Steps to Zero’ environment strategy features a goal to reach net zero by 2040, and deliver a 50 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
According to its latest update, the company already has the lowest emissions per parcel of any UK courier based on average CO2e emissions per parcel delivered by UK operators, based on an analysis by Citizens Advice.
The announcement comes less than a month after Royal Mail revealed it has now used more than 10 million litres of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel in its heavy goods vehicles, saving more 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent since June 2023.
In related news, Amazon today announced its largest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date after it replaced 95 per cent of plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging with paper filler, as it works towards a full removal of plastic pillows by end of year.
The tech and retail giant claims the move will avoid nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually.
“I’m proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier to recycle materials,” said Amazon’s vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, Pat Lindner. “It’s a great example of how we thoughtfully test and scale new solutions to protect our customer experience.
“We are working towards full removal in North America by end of year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale in order to prioritize curbside recyclable materials.”
This update builds on Amazon’s ongoing investment in reducing packaging and increasing curbside recyclability across all of its operations.
In April, Amazon revealed that while its corrugated cardboard boxes are still used for a significant portion of shipments in Europe that require more protection, more than 50 per cent now come in smaller packages such as paper bags or cardboard envelopes – or with only a customer address label on a product with no Amazon packaging added at all.
In further plastic packaging news, supermarket Aldi today announced it is removing the plastic packaging on its bananas in a trial across selected stores in the North East, Yorkshire, the South West, the South East and the Midlands.
The trial will see plastic bags replaced with a paper band alternative on selected lines. If successful, the change would help to remove an estimated 234 tonnes of plastic packaging a year.
Luke Emery, plastics and packaging director at Aldi, said: “At Aldi, we know how important reducing plastic is to our customers, colleagues and the future of the planet. We are constantly reviewing ways we can do this, and our latest trial on bananas is another great step on that journey.”
Want to understand what is going on at the cutting edge of sustainability? Check out BusinessGreen Intelligence – the premier information for professionals focused on the UK’s green economy.
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