Online drugstore Plein.nl and DS Smith have made significant progress in one year by optimising their packaging and packing process. This is evident from the sustainability results published today. By installing two packing machines and optimizing their packaging, the retailer has saved 20,900 m³ of empty space annually during shipping, eliminated 9,200 kg of plastic filler, and reduced punctures by 25%.
During the packaging project, Plein.nl and DS Smith optimised the packaging for the machine and implemented several sustainability improvements. For example, the artwork was designed to minimise ink usage, the e-commerce packaging is now made of 100% recycled brown corrugated cardboard, and the lid was improved. The selected cardboard grade (R-flute) also saves 30% space on incoming shipments and in the warehouse. This, in turn, results in lower CO2 emissions, fewer internal forklift movements, and fewer pallet changes at the machine.
During the packaging project, Plein.nl and DS Smith optimised the packaging for the machine and implemented various improvements with a focus on sustainability.
Patrick van den Bosch, Logistics Manager at Plein.nl, explains, “The packaging machines have had a hugely positive impact on our internal logistics process. Currently, 98% of all our orders are packaged automatically. Cardboard packaging is crucial in combination with these packaging machines.”
DS Smith helped us perfectly align the packaging with the machines during and after implementation. Even seemingly minor adjustments turned out to have major consequences. Simply by improving the perforation in the lid, we significantly reduced machine downtime, the adhesive adheres better, and we hardly need any manual intervention anymore.
Hiddo van de Ven, Sales, Marketing, and Innovation Director, DS Smith, says, “We at DS Smith are proud that we were able to help Plein take their packing process and packaging to an even higher level. These excellent results demonstrate that targeted improvements to sustainability can quickly have a major impact, both in reducing waste and optimising logistics processes, and improving the end-user experience.”
Until last year, Plein.nl found itself in a situation common to many online stores. They worked with box sizes that had been determined in the past and remained the same throughout, even though the webshop’s product range had evolved over the years. As a result, the quality of the cardboard wasn’t optimal, product misfits were common, and unnecessary amounts of plastic filler were used.
Janneke Bongartz, Marketing Manager, Plein.nl, adds, “The impact on the customer experience is enormous. Previously, we regularly received questions about oversized boxes and the use of plastic filler. The use of plastic packaging, in particular, became an increasingly important issue, but with this project, we’ve managed to drastically reduce that. In addition, we had to deal with bottles leaking during packaging or delivery to the customer over 5,000 times a year. Despite doubling our detergent sales, we’ve managed to reduce the breakage rate by 25% compared to a year ago. This not only reduces waste but also saves our customer service team a tremendous amount of time. This allows us to increasingly better meet our customers’ needs. And even after this project, we’ll continue to explore how we can make our business even more sustainable, so we’re ‘Prepared for anything.'”
