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Compare the carbon footprint of traditional packaging and reusable modular packaging in e-commerce: A case study of express in China
Summary
This case study compared the carbon footprint of traditional single-use packaging versus reusable modular packaging in Chinese e-commerce, finding that reusable packaging significantly reduces environmental impact. The study supports policy shifts toward reusable packaging in the fast-growing delivery sector.
Abstract The express delivery industry has promoted the development of the national economy, the number of Chinese e-commerce packaging has accounted for more than half of the world's total in 2022. However, the low transportation efficiency caused by the extra space between express packaging and goods, resulting in multiple transportation and fuel consumption. Therefore, we propose a new mode of reusable packaging box. Based on the measurement model of Carbon emissions, we measured and compared the carbon emissions of packaging materials before and after optimization based on the express delivery logistics system for road transportation, and estimated the impact of the extra space rate between single-use boxes and goods and the extra space rate between reusable packaging boxes and goods, to demonstrate the environmental advantages of reusable packaging boxes. In order to verify the validity of the model, we conducted an empirical study on China's full-year data for 2022 and the results shows that the use of modular and reusable packaging boxes can greatly reduce carbon emissions and improve logistics transport efficiency. In particular, adopting the new packaging boxes can significantly promote energy conservation and reduce carbon emissions.
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