Bol.com is going to ship around 3.5 million items without a box before the end of this year. Only when the blue and white box is necessary for the protection of the article, the e-tailer will pack the product.
For items such as fans, deep fat fryers, irons, printers, coffee makers and nappies, the item's own packaging would already provide enough protection, bol.com claims. With the packaging measure, the online shop aims to reduce the amount of empty air in parcels, thus reducing transport movements.
"As an online shop that wants to do business sustainably and responsibly, efficient packaging is currently one of our biggest challenges. But as an e-commerce company, why wrap items in a box at all if it is not actually necessary?", says Olaf van den Brink, director of logistics at bol.com. "We know that we still have many steps to take to achieve our goals, but by doing better every day, we are getting closer to an even more sustainable e-commerce."
Shipping bag made of recycled plastic
The e-tailer is implementing more sustainable measures. For instance, it is introducing a shipping bag made of recycled plastic. The shipping bag replaces the cardboard box in some cases, delivering a 90 per cent CO2 reduction per package.
Packing machines that pack to measure
Bol.com also aims to use less padding material in packaging. Since 2015, the online shop has been working with an automatic packaging machine that matches the packaging to the item. Meanwhile, bol.com works with seven packing machines, the number should grow to 25 in the coming years.
Climate-neutral operation
Bol.com has set itself the goal of emitting 0 grams of CO2 by 2025. With the packaging measures, the online shop is taking a considerable step towards reducing its ecological footprint, as packaging accounts for 20 per cent of bol.com's total CO2 emissions.
