Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Innovation needed in e-commerce packaging

Because e-commerce creates a fundamental paradigm shift in the supply chain, CPGs must “design for intended use,” according to Michael Nieuwesteeg, Managing Director of NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre.

NVC
NVC

Nieuwesteeg said that there is a need to innovate in packaging design, including the disposal or return of emptied packaging by the consumer. He presented at the 7th ISTA European Packaging Symposium last week in Amsterdam (with co-presenter Zezia Zlaiouia, Research Assistant and E-Course Technical Assistant) on the direction web retail packaging is heading.

According to some estimates, said Nieuwesteeg, e-commerce packaging is happening at a rate of 5,000-10,000 times per second. With approximately 40 billion e-commerce customer orders per year that are packed for the merchant, unpacked and stored or stocked, and then re-packed and shipped to the customer, half of the work is unpackaging a product to repack it for e-commerce.

Nieuwesteeg also said that the packaging industry needs to learn the true cost of returns due to breakage and void in shipping, presenting Amazon’s policy of fines for product leakage as an example of hidden costs that create expensive products to ship.

Is your palletizing solution leaving money on the floor?
Discover which palletizing technology—robotic, conventional, or hybrid—will maximize your packaging line efficiency while minimizing long-term costs in this comprehensive analysis.
Read More
Is your palletizing solution leaving money on the floor?
Pharmaceutical Innovations Report
Discover the latest breakthrough packaging technologies shaping the pharmaceutical sector. This report dives into cutting-edge innovations, from smart containers that enhance patient safety to eco-friendly materials poised to transform the industry’s sustainability practices. All from PACK EXPO. Learn how forward-thinking strategies are driving efficiency and redefining what’s possible in pharma packaging.
Learn More
Pharmaceutical Innovations Report