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13th Jun 2025
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New research shows that recycling rates of eCommerce mailing bags used in fashion are around 9%, leading to calls for a levy on this type of packaging.
The research by Development of Economics reported by letsrecycle.com, states that online fashion sales in the UK generated 941million plastics bags last year. It’s predicted that this number could grow by 40% by 2030.
There are now calls for legislation to reduce the usage of plastic bags in eCommerce. A minimum charge of 10 pence per bag has been applied to single-use carrier bags in high street retail since 2021 and in the UK. The view is that extending this form of legislation would encourage a switch away from plastic packaging in online retail. However, is it really the best way forward?
A levy on e-commerce mailing bags risks hitting consumers in the pocket and increasing costs for businesses. Such a proposed levy would follow the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) in 2022 and this year’s introduction of the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme. Organisations have invested and adapted to accommodate these changes and other additional charges would require further time and resource commitments.
Would a charge on plastic e-commerce mailing bags also prove counter-intuitive, both from a legislative point of view, as well as from a practical standpoint? Findings from the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) suggests that businesses are shifting towards using more plastic packaging made using some level of recycled content. Would adding another packaging charge undo this progress? Would it frustrate businesses and impact their confidence in policies designed to promote sustainability and circularity?
Looking beyond the legislation and charges, consideration must also be given to packaging performance. What happens to alternatives such as paper and cardboard e-commerce packaging when it gets wet because of rain during delivery? Will the materials sufficiently protect the product inside? Will consumers be willing to accept a sodden parcel? And how does the appearance of a saturated and potentially water-damaged parcel impact shopper satisfaction and brand loyalty?
If an e-commerce parcel arrives in anything less than perfect condition, there’s a risk of it being rejected by the shopper. Consideration must be given to how this impact carbon emissions associated with the wasted delivery mileage, as well as any redelivery and repackaging of a replacement. Energy and resources may also be required to process an item that’s returned because it was damaged during delivery. If it’s an item of clothing, it may need cleaning and steam pressing, so that it’s ready for resale.
Switching packaging materials can have far-reaching supply chain impacts. Our client, menswear brand Charles Tyrwhitt, switched from cardboard to plastic packaging after careful consideration and research. It was determined that a plastic mailing bag alternative could prove a more sustainable and lower carbon choice for the brand and its customers. An example of the sustainability includes a reduction in the storage and transportation of packaging.
Previously, Charles Tyrwhitt was storing around 70 to 80 pallets of cardboard boxes in its warehouse. By switching to plastic mailing bags, this has been reduced to around 30 pallets that hold enough mailing bags for about three months’ worth of customer orders. As a result, the business has gone from receiving five deliveries of cardboard boxes every week to one delivery of mailing bags every four months. There’s significant less mileage and vehicle use in their supply chain.
Analysis also helped Charles Tyrwhitt to determine that plastic ecommerce mailing bags are a more efficient use of transportation and storage space. Their previous cardboard box solution meant there was a lot of empty space and air in deliveries to customers. Ecommerce mailing bags have addressed this, meaning more parcels can be loaded per vehicle to help reduce carbon emissions. The bags are also lighter than cardboard boxes, which can lower the weight of transportation loads to improve fuel efficiency.
The reusability of packaging is also an important consideration for consumers and brands. Shoppers may want to send items back and being able to reuse the original packaging to do this can support sustainability. Ecommerce mailing bags can prove more durable than paper or cardboard alternatives, with its reusability lowering the environmental impact of returns. Being able to reuse ecommerce mailing bags for returning items can also reduce at-home recycling volumes for consumers.
It’s also worth thinking about what the real packaging challenge is and whether another levy is the answer. The research highlights low levels of recycling of e-commerce mailing bags, which is likely due to a lack of recycling infrastructure in the UK. Revenues from the packaging EPR – expected to be around £1bn per year – as well as the hundreds of millions of pounds already raised by the PPT since it was introduced in April 2022, suggest there’s new sources of finance available to enhance recycling collection and processing services. Do we need another levy?
Rather than reverting to another packaging charge, it’s more beneficial to think about solutions for encouraging packaging life cycle analysis. A comprehensive, end-to-end view of packaging performance and requirements, which avoids material bias, can help drive innovation and sustainability.
If you’re looking for smarter ecommerce postal packaging choices for your brand, speak to our team at Duo by emailing enquiries@duo-uk.co.uk where they can help you explore options.
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