One of the biggest issues surrounding online shopping is the sheer volume of air that comes with each delivery. This is known in the trade as “shipping air”. Picture a small box containing an item, placed inside a much larger box and then held securely in place with air-filled cushions to protect it from damage in transit.
While this belt-and-braces approach ensures that the product gets to its destination intact – apparently, the average parcel bumps the ground 17 times before it reaches the recipient – it also means that many consumers simply view all the packing materials and extra boxes as wasteful. A win-lose situation. So, with this in mind, companies are increasingly looking for ways to transform this into a double win, without taking anything away from the convenience offered by online shopping. But that’s easier said than done.