Product Packaging by E-commerce Platforms: Impact of COVID-19 and Proposal for Circular Model to Reduce the Demand of Virgin Packaging

Abstract

E-commerce packaging waste is a matter of concern, especially with the increasing popularity of online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This leads to the generation of a massive amount of e-commerce packaging waste as well as resource utilisation and CO 2 emissions that go into the production of packaging. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on consumer trends in the e-commerce industry, quantitatively analyse the carbon emissions of packaging used, and present a circular model to reduce the demand for virgin packaging. Using a convenience sampling method, an online questionnaire was administered to 285 respondents to gather data on changes in shopping practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer awareness levels and observations on packaging materials, and practices employed by e-commerce companies. It was found that the number of orders placed per month increased after the onset of the pandemic and that most households dispose of packaging with household wastes as opposed to reusing or recycling. Primary data (study participants packaging waste production) in combination with secondary data (emission factors) was further used to calculate emissions due to mixed packaging waste, which came out to be 2,705.94 kg CO 2 e per metric tonne of waste produced. In addition, the paper presents a practical solution to reducing virgin packaging material production, as well as modifications in packaging used to ensure efficient working of the packaging reuse model when implemented by the e-commerce companies.

Last-Mile Carbon Emission under E-Commerce: Environmental Perspective

“…There are more emissions because of these problems (Katta & Lam, 2022). Environmental sustainability issues in e-commerce have also been the focus of many authors around the world, either global pack-Open Journal of Social Sciences ing waste greenhouse gas emission (Idrees et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2022;Pinos et al, 2022;Arora et al, 2023;Escursell et al, 2021), last-mile delivery emission (Comi & Savchenko, 2021;Caspersen & Navrud, 2021;Patella et al, 2021), cross-border e-commerce sustainability (Fan et al, 2022;Liu et al, 2022;Cheah & Huang, 2022), or three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic aspects) (Ingaldi & Ulewicz, 2019;Oláh et al, 2018) in e-commerce.…”

Transforming Bubble Wrap and Packaging Plastic Waste into Valuable Fuel Resources

“…One solution to this issue is to convert plastic waste into energy through thermal processes such as pyrolysis, gasification, and incineration (Cudjoe & Wang, 2022). Pyrolysis technology has a strong advantage when it comes to processing packaging Transforming Bubble Wrap and Packaging Plastic Waste into Valuable Fuel Resources Mega Mutiara Sari 1* , Takanobu Inoue 2 , Rofiah Rofiah 1 , Iva Yenis Septiariva 3 , Wisnu Prayogo 4 , I Wayan Koko Suryawan 1 , Nur Novilina Arifianingsih 5 materials because it can convert plastic waste into valuable products (Peng et al, 2022). This process involves heating the plastic waste in the absence of oxygen, causing it to break down into gas and liquid fractions, such as oil, and solid residue (Kunwar et al, 2016).…”

“…Improper management of package waste can lead to an increase in waste generation. Plastic packaging materials such as plastic bags and bubble wrap are widely used in bookstores, electronic stores, souvenir shops, and cosmetic stores (Arora et al, 2022). The study of the potential recycling of plastic packaging materials, such as plastic bags and bubble wrap, is crucial for several reasons.…”