Big Ideas: “How we can eliminate single use packaging” with Mike Newman, CEO of Returnity…

some real-world box reuse programs and initiatives:

Dell's "OptiPlex" Packaging Program

• Operates a closed-loop recycling system


• Ships products to commercial customers in reusable containers


• Containers are picked up at delivery and returned to Dell


• Reports indicate this reduced packaging costs by approximately 10%

Apple's Box Recovery System

• Uses specializ

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One of the major concerns that consumers have about the growth of ecommerce is the excess waste that goes into packaging. With consumers now wanting to feel less responsible for their impact on the environment, they're seeking out brands that facilitate environmentally conscious purchase habits–and waste-reduction is a key part of that process.

The cardboard box is a minimalist form with maximalist ambitions, an arboreal apparatus made from one of the world’s most abundant renewable resources, then filled with plastic and moved around by copious quantities of oil. It doesn’t just coordinate and control landscapes; it transforms them.

Sustainable packaging has a huge impact on the environment and customers. E-commerce companies have a responsibility to take care of the environment. They need to be accountable for the repercussions of their mass experiences. Sustainability is an issue that all customers and brands should get behind.

The next decade will see an increased focus on the circular economy, with more alternatives to purchasing new, or purchasing at all.

The Circular Economy—Designing for longevity and reuse of materials beyond the first use