A camera bought online will be delivered to your home with a whole load of waste: apart from the manufacturer’s packaging, there will be the shipping box, and also often padding or filler. But there is an easier way, as is shown by two market tests conducted by Swiss Post.
In the city of Zurich, Swiss Post subsidiary notime delivers online purchases from Digitec Galaxus in nothing but their original product packaging – without even an additional address label – and on the same day the order is placed. Delivery staff can see the delivery address as soon as they scan the barcode on the item.
In the second test, the “Kickbag” – a form of reusable packaging developed by Stadtlandkind and Stoff&so – is used for shipping. The empty bag, made from partially recycled PET, is returned to the retailer: just fold it up and drop it in the nearest Swiss Post letter box. The online retailer then prepares the bag for reuse.