News Items - International Association of Packaging Research Institutes
| Last-mile logistics at Lund University Research from Sweden’s Lund University has underlined the important role that packaging plays in consumer-centric last-mile home delivery logistics, but also the ways in which many of our assumptions about it need to be rethought.   Working with the Packaging Logistics group within Lund’s Engineering Faculty, John Olsson looked at the forms that a consumer-centric approach to last-mile retail delivery might take, with a particular focus on the fashion industry. His doctoral thesis brought together and analysed the findings of four previous studies.How the roles traditionally entrusted to packaging are performed in future may be changing, he tells IAPRI. “For example, the reception box used in the unattended home delivery service contained in this research fulfils multiple packaging-related functions, including protection, containment, communication and convenience,” he says. In the model developed for the clothing industry, the e-commerce packaging can be reused for sending unwanted items to charity NGOs. “It can be argued that the business model contributes to extending the lifecycle not only of the textiles, but also of the e-commerce packaging,” he explains. “Hitherto, scholarly research comparing disposable and reusable e-commerce packaging has remained very scarce, despite growing recognition of the major environmental impact of disposable packaging.” Further research could examine the respective sustainability challenges relating to disposable and reusable e-commerce packs or, for example, the management of how reusables are returned. In terms of best practice, the research highlights ways in which retailers can adopt a more consumer-centric approach, Olsson argues. “This requires a recognition that packaging has an impact on the customer experience, and that the role of packaging goes beyond the traditional packaging functions.” Published: 09/13/23 |