Sustainable Transport Packaging: Evaluation and Feasibility for Different Use Cases

The continuous increase in e-commerce shipping is causing a critical amount of transport packaging waste. The aim of this paper is a comprehensive presentation of different types of innovations for sustainable transport packaging. Within the paper, classification and evaluation of 37 sustainable packaging solutions are presented, including customized on-demand packaging, alternative materials and closed-loop systems. A multi-criteria evaluation scheme covering a wide range of economic, ecological, operational and social indicators was used to assess the feasibility of the packaging options in different cases. Depending on the degree of innovation and implementation risk, packaging options are proposed as a “Quick Win”, “Go Green” or “Thought Leadership” solution. In the conclusion chapter of this paper, recommendations are made for three different use cases, namely grocery, fashion and textiles and electronic goods.