Eco-friendly courier service, ideally, should eliminate the main problems that conventional delivery faces. This means that it should not contain additional packaging – the product is either delivered in the packaging that it already has, or in a returnable container if the product initially came without packaging.
You can give away the returnable packaging in advance, or when purchasing, give the courier a similar container (a glass jar or a plastic container/bag) in exchange so that they can use it for other customers.
If we talk about an ideal world in the near future, then goods should be delivered by electric vehicles, and the courier should travel in one direction a couple of times a week, and not drive around different districts of the city every day. To do this, customers need to become a little more patient and be prepared for the fact that the order will not be delivered the next day.
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Eco-friendly Practices on Courier Services
Based on the Zedify article, courier services are already taking a step towards an eco-friendly future, which is good news. Delivery in reusable containers is developing, and logistics deliveries are concentrated on local couriers and stores.
Now, it is not entirely fair to demand from companies the most environmentally friendly delivery without independent efforts. Yes, we can ask marketplaces or online stores to deliver goods in protective containers or without unnecessary packaging, but we must take care of how to properly dispose of what you have already received.
After all, as we understand, the companies themselves may not always be to blame – perhaps they are simply fulfilling requirements without which they cannot function.
The first thing is, of course, packaging
Surely you were also frankly surprised when some small concealer was delivered to you wrapped in a meter-long film and in a huge box with air bags. It would seem that this is a net loss for the company – to use so much (already) expensive packaging for nothing.
Unfortunately, in almost all cases, you and I pay for this delivery, so the company as a delivery provider does not pay any money, but only minimizes the risks of spoiling the goods during transportation – for which it will have to pay, if anything happens.
The second main problem is logistics
Eco-friendly delivery ideally involves keeping your carbon footprint as low as possible at every step – from the moment the store accepts your online order to the second you receive it in person.
The main logistical snag is the lack of electric cars in delivery. If large companies delivered orders using electricity, there would be many times fewer emissions. In some countries, the only company that began to develop delivery using electric vehicles was IKEA.
Disposal and recycling
Even if a courier company delivers goods to you in boxes and only puts craft paper inside, such delivery cannot be called eco-friendly. A lot of resources were still spent on packaging, but the carbon footprint of such delivery is greater than delivery in plastic.
The hope of reducing the delivery footprint rests with us – we need to properly dispose of delivery packaging by recycling it. Recently, the marketplaces themselves began to announce the collection of packaging at pick-up points, which the companies hand over for recycling. This approach is the most sensible and reduces the responsibility of buyers to the delivery company.
Onro for Eco-Friendly Courier Services
The management of deliveries is constantly increasing. The result is the congestion of logistics platforms and city traffic, and consequently, the quality of the air we breathe is worsened by the vans loaded with packages that clog the streets and multiply more and more between deliveries and redelivery.
This is also because many problems arise when you have to combine the times of the different deliveries with the personal commitments of those who have to receive the parcels.
The main idea of Onro is the organization of couriers and deliveries. A particular logistics and courier organization software is the heart of Onro’s courier management software, which allows everyone to receive their deliveries when and where they want.
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Conclusion
So, the impact of sustainable logistics practices on courier services is a fundamental topic. Environmental sustainability is a very important aspect of any courier activity. As online demand grows, the consumption of natural resources grows. This is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the sector. We need to understand how to be competitive while proving efficient with the planet’s resources.
