> Duo UK
10th Jan 2025
Contact Us
Post-festivities, recycling bins overflow—it’s the same scene every year. Mountains of used packaging from the festive frenzy of online shopping pile up, with mailing bags, boxes and packaging accessories that delivered gifts to our doorsteps having served their purpose. But what happens next?
Post-consumer waste is something we can’t avoid. Packaging is essential for protecting goods and ensuring they arrive safely, but the aftermath—what we do with the waste—presents a challenge for many eCommerce brands.
As January begins, so does the return season. Customers sending back gifts or items that weren’t quite right adds another layer to the packaging problem. If polythene mailing bags or plastic films are not re-usable, it can lead to these materials often ending up in landfills due to a lack of local recycling facilities accepting this type of material.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Forward-thinking retailers like Club L London are paving the way by offering a solution to minimise waste: customers can reuse the original ecommerce packaging, such as mailing bags, to send back their items and also include any other polythene material, such as clear poly bags, saving them going to waste. Once returned, these packaging items are segregated by the retailer, sent to a polythene recycling facility for processing into recycled polythene pellets which are reused in new packaging items. This ensures the post consumer waste is given a second life.
Closed-loop recycling provides eCommerce businesses with a solution for post-consumer waste. Instead of viewing used packaging as a burden, it repositions it as a valuable resource. Duclo Recycling, part of the Duo family, specialises in recycling post-consumer waste, turning used packaging into high-quality recycled materials. By collecting, reprocessing, and repurposing materials, they enable packaging manufacturers to reduce reliance on virgin plastics and contribute to a circular economy for plastics where resources remain in use for as long as possible.
This process isn’t just environmentally beneficial; it makes economic sense too. Retail and eCommerce businesses adopting closed-loop solutions align with consumer demands for greater sustainability and benefit from cost savings as the waste post-consumer packaging can attract a value.
What is Closed-Loop Recycling?
Closed-loop recycling is a straightforward but transformative approach to recycling post-consumer waste. When a packaging item reaches its end of life, it is segregated into material types, baled, collected and recycled. Using advanced washing and recycling techniques, the material is processed, non-target materials removed, pelletised and sold to manufacturers to remanufactured into new, high-quality eCommerce packaging products. This continuous cycle keeps polythene materials in demand out of landfills and incinerators, minimizing waste and reducing the need for virgin resources.
Start Fresh in January
January marks a time for fresh starts and evaluation—an ideal opportunity to rethink how your brand manages post-consumer waste. The festive packaging hangover is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Closed-loop recycling transforms waste into opportunity, turning the excess from the holiday season into a resource for the future.
If you’re ready to tackle the Christmas packaging hangover and adopt closed loop recycling to your business processes. Get in touch with our team enquiries@duo-uk.co.uk or call +44 0161 203 5767