More than 70% of consumers believe online retailers use excessive packaging and often find packaging difficult to open and to dispose of, according to new research.
Online marketplace Clouder.co.uk surveyed 892 consumers who make at least one online purchase per month and 72% complained of excessive packaging while 66% said they had received packaging that was far larger than the item/s they had ordered at least once in the past year.
In addition 46% consumers say they had received packaging that was difficult to dispose of on at least one occasion in the past year while 58% said excessive packaging had made their delivery difficult to open.
With around £133bn spent online with UK retailers in 2016 (according to IMRG Capgemini) and with 40% of consumers being sent packaging that is too big, Clouder.co.uk believes that 1m extra metric tonnes of waste is being created per year.
Highlights from the Clouder research
One consumer, 26-year-old Bobby from London, said he had received delivery boxes that were three times larger than the item/s inside. “I tend to order a lot online. It saves me a lot of time compared to going into shops and I get to do it from the comfort of my own home, which is always a bonus. I generally purchase clothes, shoes, books and video games online,” he said.
“Considering these items are usually small, it baffles me when some of them arrive in large boxes. On occasions, the delivery box has been three times the actual size of the item I ordered. It’s a bit frustrating as it’s just an unnecessary waste. I am sure retailers could make more of an effort to use appropriately sized boxes, without compromising the compatibility of packages,” he added.
The research shows that 62% of respondents would think more positively about a brand if it made a conscious effort to strip out unnecessary packaging. “With online shopping positioned at the forefront of the retail landscape, retailers can certainly make more of an effort to minimise the use of unnecessary delivery packaging for online orders. Retailers who take the initiative to use the appropriate amount of delivery packaging and protective materials for their online orders – will not only improve their reputation, but help reduce the adverse environmental effects of excessive packaging waste,” said Clouder.co.uk CEO Tomas Zalatoris.
