Seven ways to make fulfilment more sustainable

1. Reducing and Reusing Packaging

Single-use plastics are disappearing fast, but the challenge goes beyond swapping plastic for cardboard. In 2025, customers increasingly look for minimal, recyclable or reusable packaging.

• Less packaging, smarter design: Fit-to-size packaging reduces void space, cutting down both material use and transport emissions.
  
  
• Reusable packaging systems: Market innovations and solutions that allow parcels to be returned and reused multiple times. Early adopters are seeing both cost benefits and higher customer loyalty.
  
  
• Circular materials: Biodegradable and recycled-content packaging is becoming standard, and new EU packaging regulations will soon require recyclability for most e-commerce formats.

Did you know? 45% of European online shoppers say they are more likely to buy from a brand that offers sustainable packaging.

2. Smarter Deliveries — Paid, Not “Free”

“Free” delivery and returns have a hidden cost: higher emissions. Customers who don’t pay for shipping are more likely to order multiple sizes, then return the rest.

In 2025, many brands are shifting toward paid delivery models, often combined with transparent communication about sustainability. This reduces unnecessary returns and creates room to invest in greener options such as carbon-neutral shipping or reusable packaging.

3. Optimising Fulfilment Operations for Lower Impact

Sustainability starts well before the last mile. The way fulfilment centres are designed and operated has a major influence on total emissions. At Bleckmann, we believe greener logistics begins at the source.

• Energy-efficient warehouses: Solar panels, LED lighting, and smart heating/cooling systems significantly cut emissions. Many of Bleckmann’s sites already run partly on renewable energy, with targets to expand further.
  
  
• Automation and efficiency: Smarter picking, packing and routing reduce waste, errors, and unnecessary transport. This directly lowers both costs and emissions.
  
  
• Strategic stock positioning: By placing inventory closer to the end consumer, delivery distances shrink. This not only reduces CO₂ but also speeds up service.
  
  
• Shared facilities: Multi-client warehouses allow brands to benefit from economies of scale in energy use, transport consolidation, and resource sharing.

Example: A lifestyle brand working with Bleckmann reduced average delivery distances by 18% by re-positioning stock across two fulfilment centres instead of one.

Optimising fulfilment operations may not be as visible to consumers as an electric van, but its impact is often larger. It also demonstrates that sustainability and operational excellence go hand in hand.

4. Partnering with Sustainable Carriers & Measuring Impact

Choosing the right carrier is one of the most effective ways to reduce the footprint of your deliveries. While many logistics providers are investing in electric fleets or alternative fuels, progress and commitment vary widely. Brands can make a real difference by working only with partners that share their sustainability goals.

• Carrier monitoring: Ask your logistics partners to provide transparent CO₂ reporting per parcel.
  
  
• Aligned targets: Work with carriers who commit to science-based targets, renewable energy adoption, and low-emission zones.
  
  
• Continuous improvement: Regularly review carrier performance and adjust contracts to incentivise greener behaviour.

Tip: Many brands now publish their logistics CO₂ footprint in annual sustainability reports. Having accurate, partner-verified data makes this not only easier, but also more credible.

Measuring and managing impact together with your logistics partners ensures sustainability is not just a promise, but a proven result.

5. Supporting Circularity, Renewal & Recommerce

In fashion and lifestyle, products don’t need to end their journey after one customer return. Increasingly, brands are embracing circular business models that give items a second life. Logistics is the backbone of making this shift work.

• Reverse logistics made efficient: Handling returns quickly, sustainably and cost-effectively reduces unnecessary waste and emissions.
  
  
• Renewal of fashion items: Returned garments can be inspected, cleaned, repaired or reconditioned to meet quality standards for resale. This avoids landfill and keeps valuable products in circulation.
  
  
• Recommerce solutions: Dedicated flows for resale — through brand-owned outlets, online marketplaces or rental platforms — create new revenue streams while lowering environmental impact.
  
  
• Material recovery: Packaging, hangers and textiles can be collected, sorted and reintroduced into the supply chain, further reducing virgin material use.
  
  
• Compliance with EPR: As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and textile waste legislation expand in Europe, brands need fulfilment partners who can provide take-back schemes, repair capabilities, and reporting.

Example: Working with Bleckmann, a leading fashion brand introduced a recommerce channel where returned and renewed items were resold online. Within the first year, 30% of returned products were given a second life, reducing waste and driving incremental sales.

Circularity is more than sustainability — it’s a business opportunity. Renewal and recommerce help fashion brands extend product lifecycles, build deeper customer loyalty, and meet both environmental and regulatory expectations.

6. Innovation Through Automation & Data-Driven Logistics

Sustainability in logistics is not only about transport or packaging — it also depends on how warehouses and supply chains are managed. By combining automation with data-driven decision-making, fulfilment operations can significantly reduce their environmental footprint.

• Smarter warehouses: Automated picking and packing reduce errors, energy use and unnecessary shipments. Robotics can optimise movements inside the warehouse, lowering power consumption and labour intensity.
  
  
• Energy efficiency: Automation systems integrated with smart building management (e.g., lighting, heating, cooling) ensure resources are only used when needed.
  
  
• Data-driven logistics: Real-time data on inventory, orders and returns allows brands to optimise stock placement, consolidate shipments, and reduce empty space in trucks.
  
  
• Predictive insights: Using data analytics, brands can forecast demand more accurately, avoiding overproduction and unnecessary warehousing.
  
  
• Carbon dashboards: Logistics data can be translated into CO₂ insights, helping brands track progress against reduction targets and report transparently on Scope 3 emissions.

Innovation doesn’t always mean futuristic solutions — sometimes it’s about using today’s technology smarter. Automation and data-driven logistics help brands run leaner, greener operations that benefit both the planet and the bottom line.

7. Prioritising Social Sustainability

Sustainability is not only about carbon. The way people in the logistics chain are treated matters just as much to consumers and regulators. At Bleckmann, social responsibility is a cornerstone of our sustainability strategy. We:

• Provide fair contracts and long-term employment opportunities.
  
  
• Focus on inclusivity and diversity, offering jobs to people with barriers to the labour market.
  
  
• Ensure safe, supportive workplaces across all facilities.

Brands that work with socially responsible logistics partners can strengthen their reputation and meet the growing demand for ethical supply chains.