Beyond Threads Podcast: Why the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation calls for innovative reuse solutions

The waste imperative: An EU-wide strategy

The EU’s PPWR pursues three core goals: reduce packaging waste, make all packaging recyclable by 2030, and mandate reuse for targeted categories like transport and e-commerce packaging. EU residents generate large amounts of packaging waste every year, with e-commerce contributing a growing share. Therefore, reducing packaging waste in this area could have a big impact on reducing overall waste.

However, driving a viable transition from single-use to reusable packaging involves three interconnected challenges: changing habitual consumer and industry behaviour; building efficient reuse systems that compete with the low cost of single-use; and achieving packaging return rates that make the business case viable. Since 2021, the BOXO team has been busy creating practical solutions to these problems.

Going Dutch: Why reusable packaging is on the rise in the Netherlands

BOXO’s packaging solution reflects a return model that the Netherlands is already very familiar with: the beer crate deposit system. Running since the 1960s and with a very high return rate, it requires customers to pay a small deposit on their bottles and crates at the point of purchase – money they can get back in full when they return the empties to the store. The BOXO model uses the same principle, with every piece of packaging given a unique, traceable ID tied to a €3.95 deposit. Consumers can then reclaim this when they take the packaging to a BOXO return point. For simplicity, brands can add a dedicated BOXO option to checkout through plug-and-play integrations for Shopify and other platforms.

To give an idea of where the market is heading, major sports gear retailer Decathlon ran a pilot scheme in partnership with BOXO, using its packaging for all click-and-collect orders in the Netherlands. This has now been expanded to B2C home delivery for customers living near a BOXO return point. BOXO now has many front-running companies on board, and we also have a longstanding relationship with them. After all, to ensure the ongoing scale-up of such solutions, the entire logistics ecosystem needs to adapt.

Unboxing the future: The strategic advantage of early adoption 

The PPWR’s main waste reduction targets take effect from 2030, but influencing consumer behaviour and implementing the necessary infrastructure updates to make returned packaging the norm will take time. Lucas and Ron are both in agreement on this, suggesting first offering reusable packaging as an option alongside existing single-use options, not instead of them. While research confirms that consumers are open to reusable packaging, convenience and choice are the deciding factors for long-term adoption. “The ease should be the return,” says Lucas, “replacing the ease of throwing it [the packaging] away.”

The BOXO deposit system, when combined with loyalty programme incentives, also provides brands with a practical way to engage more with environmentally conscious customers and establishes an additional brand experience touchpoint after the consumer has received their order. However, to achieve these compliance and experience benefits, collaboration is key. The conversation highlights that no single company can drive this shift alone. Brands, fulfilment partners, packaging manufacturers and consumers all have a part to play. And with PPWR compliance obligations on the horizon, now is the time to get started. 

Want to know more about the EU Green Deal and its implications for fashion and lifestyle brands? Check out the other podcast episodes in our Green Deal series or get in contact for a free consultation with a Bleckmann expert.

Transcript

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Hi there, and welcome to another Beyond Threads podcast by Bleckmann. As always, I’m your host, Erik Janssen Steenberg, and I’ll take you on a journey—a deep dive into everything that is changing, developing, and emerging as new trends in fashion and lifestyle logistics.

Today’s deep dive is all about sustainability legislation and innovation. This time, the innovation is creative packaging that allows for a more sustainable way of packaging products and delivering them to customers.

For this purpose, I’m joined today by Lucas Hullegie, co-founder of BOXO. Welcome. And Ron Thijssen, our very own CSR Manager at Bleckmann. Good to have you back, my friend.

Ron Thijssen: Thank you, Erik.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Before we actually start the deep dive, could you both introduce yourselves and tell us a little more about why we’re sitting around this table today?

Lucas Hullegie: Yes. My name is Lucas. I’m one of the three founders of BOXO, and we offer a reusable packaging system here in the Netherlands.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Very good. Ron?

Ron Thijssen: Hi. I’m Ron Thijssen. I’ve been working at Bleckmann for the past six years, mainly focusing on sustainability within the organization.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: And we have you here because today’s deep dive is all about the PPWR, meaning the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

What challenges do you see, and how can our listeners navigate this new legislation more easily?

Lucas Hullegie: The new legislation, the PPWR, creates some challenges for brands in the European Union because we have to reduce packaging waste.

It’s not simply about recycling more. It’s about reducing the amount of packaging we use to send products to customers.

Ron Thijssen: Absolutely. Just look at the numbers. Roughly 18 kilograms per person per year are discarded as packaging waste, and of those 18 kilograms, around 85% comes directly from e-commerce.

So e-commerce is one of the major drivers when it comes to the amount of packaging being used.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: I have no doubt about that. When I see what arrives in my own household on a weekly basis, it’s quite incredible.

Lucas, based on your experience in the industry as a subject-matter expert, can you explain the PPWR and why it matters both to brands and to us as a logistics provider?

Lucas Hullegie: The main goal of the PPWR is to reduce packaging waste.

Every member state of the European Union, including the Netherlands, has targets for reducing its waste.

E-commerce is still growing, and it has grown very quickly over the past few years.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: It exploded.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly. And the amount of packaging waste grew very quickly as well.

So the challenge is: how can we, as a market, do our part to reduce the amount of packaging waste in every country that is a member of the European Union?

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Definitely. And that’s also part of your area of responsibility, Ron.

Ron Thijssen: Absolutely.

It isn’t only about recycling as the legislation pushes us towards greater circularity. It’s also about an absolute reduction in waste itself.

So we need to look at reducing the amount of material being used.

There are many regulations coming, and the PPWR is one of them. It doesn’t only say something about the material itself, but also about the size of the packaging.

How often do you order something and it arrives in a box that is far too large and contains a lot of air?

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Very often.

We all recognize that. We’ve all been surprised by shipments that seem to contain 80% air.

But why is this such an important moment for sustainability in e-commerce and, of course, for us in fashion?

Ron Thijssen: Saying it is getting out of control may sound dramatic, but if we don’t act now, the mountain of waste is only going in one direction: up.

It really has to be reduced.

There are plenty of good intentions from consumers and brands regarding recycling and recycling rates, but perhaps it is time for legislators to step in and say: “Listen, this is how we are going to work in the future.”

We simply have to reduce waste. End of story.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: And it is going to happen. We know that.

We also understand the reasons behind it. We can see the impact of the mountain of packaging waste around us in practically everything we do.

Lucas, now that we’re convinced that something needs to change, what do you see as the biggest challenges in our industry—and in other industries as well—when implementing a more circular packaging system?

Lucas Hullegie: I think there are three main challenges.

The first one is behavioral change.

E-commerce has been around for roughly 30 years, and for those 30 years we’ve been using single-use packaging to send our orders.

Consumers therefore need to get used to something new.

Brands, fulfillment companies, employees and business owners all need to get used to reusable packaging.

The entire market has to make the transition from single-use packaging towards reusable packaging.

That’s the first challenge.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Do you see increased interest in that at consumer level?

Lucas Hullegie: Yes, definitely.

All the research we’ve seen, including research we’ve done ourselves, indicates that consumers are ready for it.

But we need a system that is convenient enough for them to actually start using it.

The second challenge is efficiency—cost efficiency, but also operational efficiency.

Companies such as Bleckmann have very efficient operations because they’ve built those operations up over 20 or 30 years.

Now we’re introducing a system change from single-use packaging to reuse, which means we also need to build a new system.

That new system has to become at least as efficient as the current one.

So I think that is another major challenge.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Everybody has to be part of the change. If one of the cogs stops turning, we all have a problem.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

Fulfillment companies, brands and packaging companies all have to make the change.

And it will only work at scale if we do it very efficiently, because we know that single-use packaging is very cheap.

That is one of the biggest challenges.

The final challenge is the return rate.

If you start using reusable packaging, you need a high return rate to make the business case work.

You can save money—and potentially make money—with reusable packaging, but you need a high return rate.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: You mean the return rate of the packaging itself?

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

Ron Thijssen: Not the products.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Very good, Ron.

But the consumer is also one of the cogs in that process.

Does the legislation concern them as well? Are they part of the solution?

Lucas Hullegie: Yes.

Consumers also have to make the change and play their part.

They actually play a very important role because the PPWR also encourages the introduction of more deposit systems to motivate consumers to return packaging at drop-off points.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Once a brand decides, “Yes, we want to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem,” what hurdles do brands face when trying to introduce this new way of working into their existing infrastructure, operations and customer experience?

Lucas Hullegie: It’s new.

And I think the biggest mistake we could make would be to move completely to reusable packaging in one single step.

That isn’t possible.

Some consumers are ready for it and others are not.

We also have operational challenges to solve.

So we need to find a way to introduce reusable packaging alongside single-use packaging.

That is one of the main reasons we built our system in the way we did.

Ron Thijssen: It’s like a train journey. Everybody has to get on board.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

Ron Thijssen: But you can’t get everybody on board at the same time.

You have to start somewhere, taking small steps, as long as those steps are moving in the right direction.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: And are we, as a logistics provider, a larger cog in that process? Are we on board?

Ron Thijssen: Yes, absolutely.

We are on board, and we can definitely help and facilitate initiatives that make the process more circular through the use of reusable packaging.

But it also requires a change in our operations because it will probably add an extra step.

Instead of simply filling a polybag and sending it out, we may need to use a different type of box or packaging material.

The same applies to returns.

Normally, if we receive packaging material back with a return, we dispose of it so that it can be recycled.

But now we may receive packaging material that has to be reused.

That is new for us, so we also have to adapt.

The packaging needs to be checked and cleaned. Labels need to be dealt with. We have to assess whether it is dirty, damaged or has an unpleasant smell.

That creates an additional operational step for us.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: And with all that in mind, that is of course why we invited BOXO to the table for this podcast.

Can you explain to our listeners—and to me—what BOXO is, what it does, and perhaps tell us something about the packaging materials we have here on the table?

Lucas Hullegie: We’ve built a solution that gives brands the opportunity to start using reusable packaging.

We do that through a deposit system.

As we said earlier, we need a high return rate to make the business case work for brands and for the owner of the reusable packaging.

Here in the Netherlands, we are already very familiar with paying deposits on packaging because we’ve been doing it with beer crates since the 1960s.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Absolutely.

Lucas Hullegie: And it works really well because the return rate is around 90%.

A few years ago, deposit systems were also introduced for bottles and cans.

The PPWR is now pushing European countries towards deposit systems for bottles and cans as well.

In the Netherlands, we are already familiar with that concept.

So we used the beer-crate deposit system as inspiration when building a system for e-commerce.

Every piece of reusable packaging in our system has a unique ID.

That means we can follow the packaging within our system.

It’s basically track and trace, but for packaging.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Like a license plate on a car.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

We can see its status: where it was scanned last, how many times it has been used, whether it needs to be repaired, and so on.

All of those statuses are linked to the QR code.

We also use that unique ID for the deposit system.

For example, the consumer pays a deposit of €3.95 on the packaging.

When the consumer returns the packaging at a return point, the deposit is refunded through our system.

We handle all of that administration.

We enable brands to offer consumers a choice: do you want your order delivered in single-use packaging, or in reusable packaging with a deposit?

If the customer chooses reusable packaging, our system handles the process.

The packaging comes back to us via a return point, we clean it, sort it, and deliver it back to Bleckmann or to the webshop.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Are there already many places where consumers can return the packaging?

Lucas Hullegie: We expand municipality by municipality.

Within each municipality, we look for enough return points so that everybody has the opportunity to return the packaging within roughly five to ten minutes by bicycle.

We are Dutch, after all, so we think in terms of cycling distance.

We have to make it very convenient.

Right now, consumers can go to a physical return point, such as a shop or a parcel point.

They go there, scan the QR code, drop off the reusable packaging and receive their deposit back.

The next step, which we are already working on this year, is to allow consumers to hand reusable packaging to their grocery delivery driver and get the deposit back that way.

That makes the process even more convenient.

The step after that is to integrate returns into parcel lockers, so that people can collect a parcel from a locker and also return reusable packaging there.

The goal is to make it as easy as possible for the consumer.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: That makes sense.

I can already see that the material is quite sturdy. What is the average lifespan? How many times can this packaging go back and forth?

Lucas Hullegie: In our system, we say it needs to survive at least 50 cycles.

That is also a challenge for the packaging companies we work with.

They need to develop and produce packaging that is cost-efficient.

Ideally, the purchase value should be somewhere around the value of the deposit because that protects the business case.

But the packaging also needs to be strong and foldable.

Being foldable is very important for us because if the packaging can be folded flat during the return process, transport becomes much more efficient.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: So that already creates a saving.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

We’re challenging packaging companies to move from developing single-use packaging towards reusable packaging.

But they still need to make it cost-efficient.

The difference is that reusable packaging can generate savings when it is used again and again.

The better the packaging and the more cycles it survives, the greater the savings.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Is there also room for brands to discuss or customize the packaging material itself?

For example, brands may not have standardized products.

Lucas Hullegie: Yes.

We’re seeing all kinds of reusable packaging now, from mailer bags to letterbox packaging and standard e-commerce boxes.

For larger brands, it is also possible to use our system with their own packaging.

If a brand wants to develop its own branded e-commerce box, that’s possible.

They can develop and purchase the packaging themselves and then use our system to get it back.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: So that also makes it easier to integrate the packaging itself into the overall customer-facing experience.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: What practical steps can brands already take today to start using more sustainable packaging and prepare for the future?

Lucas Hullegie: The first step is simply to start offering customers the option of reusable packaging with a deposit.

Through our system, brands can reduce packaging waste while giving customers that choice.

If a brand connects with our system, we have different plug-and-play services available.

For example, we have plugins for platforms such as Shopify and Shopware.

Once the plugin is installed, a packaging choice appears in the checkout.

I think that is the best way to start because you give consumers the choice.

Today, customers can already choose when they want something delivered, and sometimes even who delivers it.

Adding the question, “What type of packaging would you like?” is only a small additional step in the checkout.

That allows consumers and brands to start using reusable packaging gradually.

We also learn from that process because you start small.

Not everybody will choose reusable packaging immediately because it is still new.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Do you see brands actively incentivizing their customers to choose reusable packaging?

Lucas Hullegie: Yes, and that’s very interesting.

We actually developed this together with the webshops we started working with.

If you look at the traditional customer journey of a webshop, it basically ends at the waste container.

Afterwards, the brand might send one or two emails asking: “Are you happy with your products?” or “Please review us.”

With reusable packaging, you can extend the customer journey.

The next touchpoint becomes: “You returned your reusable packaging at one of our return points and received your deposit back. Well done. This is the impact you’ve made.”

And then the brand can add extra loyalty points or perhaps a discount code for the next purchase.

So reusable packaging can add new value to the customer journey.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: It creates a stronger connection between the customer and the brand, while also making customers feel that they’re part of the solution.

You do it together.

Ron, do you recognize that?

Ron Thijssen: Absolutely.

We had discussions with clients about this a couple of years ago.

At that time, consumers weren’t really ready to use reusable packaging.

Why?

Because you are asking the consumer to take an extra step.

And the consumer ultimately wants one thing: the product inside the package.

They don’t really care about the packaging. They want the contents, and traditionally they simply throw the packaging away.

So the alternative has to be convenient. It has to be easy.

Reusable packaging introduces an additional step.

By adding a deposit system or nudging consumers through loyalty programs, I think you can create a very good solution.

Looking at packaging materials and waste in general is also becoming much more mainstream than it was five or ten years ago.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: But before the slower adopters fully catch on, we probably need to give them an incentive too.

Lucas, you mentioned larger companies getting involved. Are there success stories you can already share with us?

Lucas Hullegie: I think the best example is Decathlon.

We work closely with them here in the Netherlands.

They started using reusable packaging for click-and-collect orders.

Now we’re implementing it for B2C deliveries as well.

So when a parcel is delivered to someone’s home, it can arrive in reusable packaging with a deposit.

The consumer then drops it off at one of our return points.

Decathlon is a major player here in the Netherlands.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Congratulations. That’s a real milestone.

Lucas Hullegie: It is.

And it’s great because they are a frontrunner in this area.

As a company, they have also clearly said that they want to lead in circular solutions.

For them, this is a very logical step, and we’re now implementing it together.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Once it truly becomes mainstream, the system itself can grow significantly.

The number of drop-off points can grow exponentially, which makes it even easier to return reusable packaging.

Then it becomes something of a self-fulfilling cycle.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

At the moment, consumers may think: “I have to return this packaging. Throwing it away would be easier.”

What we want is for them to think: “I can return this packaging. I don’t have to throw it away.”

The return has to become easier than disposal.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: When my supermarket delivers groceries once a week, they already collect the bags and crates that were used.

Why not add reusable e-commerce packaging to that process?

We’re already doing something very similar.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly. It’s a great solution.

Make it as convenient as possible.

It is still interesting how we think about this.

With a beer crate, we find it completely normal that we pay a deposit on the reusable crate.

But with e-commerce packaging, people sometimes ask: “Why do I have to pay for packaging?”

You’re not paying for it. It’s a deposit.

It’s exactly the same principle as the beer crate.

In many countries, beer is still sold in cardboard boxes, but here in the Netherlands we are used to reusable beer crates.

We use them without really thinking about it.

That is the behavioral change we need to create across the whole market—among companies and consumers alike.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: I can definitely see this happening very quickly.

Ron Thijssen: Very soon, I hope.

But what we do need, as you said, is volume.

You need two things to create change: a brilliant idea and volume.

We need more and more clients and consumers to get used to the concept and more companies to be willing to offer it to their customers.

That creates momentum, and then more and more people start using it.

You need the frontrunners to get on the train first.

Lucas Hullegie: Exactly.

You need frontrunners to drive the system change.

Our system has now been live for around a year and a half, and we already have around 35 frontrunners using it.

Now the larger companies are starting to implement the system as well.

We need those larger players to make the change happen.

With every major change, some people or companies take the first steps and others follow.

That is where we are now.

The next challenge is to bring larger e-commerce companies on board.

Once they do that, the rest of the market will increasingly accept the model and say: “Yes, let’s go for it.”

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Because then it becomes mainstream, and even the slower adopters will eventually have to follow.

That makes sense.

As a final point, when do the main PPWR targets come into play?

Lucas Hullegie: One of the key milestones for reducing packaging waste is 2030.

For example, in the Netherlands, the target is to reduce packaging waste by 5% compared with the 2018 baseline.

But in recent years, the Netherlands has actually been producing more and more waste.

So 2030 is already around the corner.

We have a lot of work to do because e-commerce is still growing and we continue to produce more waste.

Cardboard, in particular, is still increasing as a waste stream here in the Netherlands.

So we really need to start.

The first major target is coming, and that target is a 5% reduction by 2030.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Gentlemen, thank you very much for explaining the PPWR to us: what it means, when the targets come into play, and, importantly, for giving us practical ideas about what we can do.

You’ve also given us a sense of urgency because these requirements are approaching quickly when you look at the overall timeline.

Thank you very much.

Even though this has been a relatively short podcast, unfortunately that’s all the time we have for this topic.

I’m sure we’ll come back to it at a later date.

For our listeners and viewers, how can they reach out to BOXO or Bleckmann if they have follow-up questions or would like to have a more detailed discussion?

Lucas Hullegie: We are working together with Bleckmann, so you can reach out through your contact at Bleckmann or through Ron.

You can also visit our website, boxo.nl, or find me on LinkedIn.

Just send me a message and we can arrange a conversation.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Perfect. Ron, how about you?

Ron Thijssen: Go to bleckmann.com, then open the sustainability section. You’ll find my details there, and you can simply send me an email.

Erik Janssen Steenberg: Good.

Once again, thank you very much, gentlemen. It was a very good discussion, and hopefully there is much more to come.

And to our audience, thank you very much for tuning in today.

I think this was a very valuable discussion, and I hope it has given you more in-depth information about the PPWR, what is on the horizon, and how you as a brand can become part of the solution rather than continuing to be part of the problem.

Make sure you follow us on our social channels and subscribe to the podcast, because I definitely want you to join us again next time.

Until then, my name is Erik Janssen Steenberg. See you soon.