Stora Enso: The Impact of Packaging on Black Friday
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become known for incredible deals from retailers that see consumers spend record breaking amounts of money every year, on record breaking amounts of items.
In the US in 2023, 76.2 million people shopped in store whilst 90.6 million people shopped online, totalling US$9.8bn in e-commerce sales, a 7.5% increase from 2022 figures.
Whilst many see it as the opportunity to kick start their Christmas shopping, the environmental impact isn’t a positive one.
The environmental impact of Black Friday
The retail sector generates 25% of the world’s carbon emissions annually, with reports estimating that Black Friday deliveries alone generate 429,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases to the environment each year.
The shopping frenzy extends beyond the US – in 2024, Collect+ processed more than 3.1 million parcels in the UK, which pales in comparison to UPS in the US delivering over 60 million parcels but still has considerable impact.
There are many layers to the sustainability discussion here – the production of each item, fast fashion, sustainable sourcing, supply chain emissions and many more. This Black Friday, we’re honing in on packaging.
Meet Stora Enso
Stora Enso is pioneering efforts to tackle the lack of sustainable practices in e-commerce packaging with innovative, circular packaging solutions that promise not only to reduce waste but also to set new standards for the industry.
Simo Siitonen is Director of Sustainability and Head of Customer Value at Stora Enso, Packaging Materials. He manages the sustainability collaboration interface, leads the development of divisional sustainability value propositions, and oversees the customer sustainability support interface, including related digital tools.
“My role is to support our customers in achieving the best possible sustainability value for their packaging applications,” he explains.
Bio-based packaging
Bio-based packaging is an alternative to much of the non-recyclable packaging currently being used and causing so much waste during holidays like Black Friday.
“Switching to bio-based packaging, particularly fiber-based packaging, can, in the best cases, fully replace the use of non-renewable, fossil-based materials with renewable sources,” Simo explains.
“This often leads to significantly lower carbon emissions, helping to mitigate the impact of climate change. Additionally, bio-based packaging frequently supports circularity by offering better recyclability compared to many fossil-based alternatives.”
These solutions aren’t currently widely adopted though, partly down to performance.
“In some packaging applications, achieving excellent barrier properties—such as protection against moisture and oxygen—is crucial for maintaining the quality of the packed product,” Simo shares.
“Currently, many fossil-based polymers still outperform bio-based alternatives in this regard, which limits the wider adoption of bio-based materials.
“However, active development is underway to improve the technical properties and availability of bio-based barriers, as well as paper-based barrier materials.”
The future of packaging
“The packaging industry will need to identify new bio-based alternatives to reduce and replace the use of plastic,” Simo states. “Fiber-based packaging applications hold great potential in this area.”
It is clear that the packaging industry needs to innovate, or the issues will continue to mount.
The companies behind innovative sustainable packaging are working behind the scenes to bolster uptake.
“In addition to advancements in barrier technologies, there is a noticeable trend toward lightweighting in fiber-based packaging,” says Simo.
“Virgin fiber-based board materials often provide much better material usage yields compared to many recycled fiber grades, which can contribute to lower carbon emissions. This makes lightweighting a key focus area in the industry.
“Another significant trend will be designing packaging for improved recyclability. This shift is being driven by regulatory requirements, as well as companies setting their own targets to enhance the circularity of their packaging solutions.
“Overall, there is an increasing emphasis on fit-for-purpose design, which considers factors such as eco-design, lightweighting, and avoiding over-engineering.”
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