Packaging sustainability is a critical issue for our customers. They want to know that we are taking proactive measures to reduce the amount of packaging used, while increasing the amount of recycled content and recyclable materials to minimise waste. Packaging intensity is one of our non-financial KPIs and is included in our SLL targets.
In 2023/24, our packaging intensity reduced by 8% from 2022/23 and by 35% from 2019/20. We continued to reduce overall packaging tonnage by using more reusable eco-totes and pallets in our internal replenishment systems and automated packaging machines to produce made-to-fit transit cartons that save space and reduce waste.
Reusable plastic collars were introduced and plastic pallets were increased for inventory replenishments between RS locations in EMEA. This has significantly reduced waste across the organisation.
We have made progress in switching to more sustainable packaging materials across our regions this year to support our customers:
RS in EMEA: we moved to brown packaging boxes which are made from 100% recycled material. 📦
RS in Americas: we increased the proportion of packaging made with over 50% recycled content from 15% by weight in 2022/23 to 46% in 2023/24. ⚖️
RS in the UK, France, Italy and Germany: we replaced plastic tape with paper tape sealing to reduce plastic consumption by four tonnes and make it easier for customers to recycle. ♻️
Combined, these efforts mean that over 53% of total packaging by weight is made from materials that contain at least 50% recycled content. This represents a 6 percentage points increase in recycled content from 2022/23. At the end of 2023/24, 94% of our packaging was reusable or recyclable, unchanged from 2022/23.
In 2024/25, we will develop the next phase of our packaging strategy, including our initiatives, investment plans and a review of our 2030 packaging targets to identify further opportunities for action.
#ESG #AdvancingSustainability #Packaging #ForABetterWorld
UI/UX Designer at Afterglow
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