EXCLUSIVE: Shipped around 15% of products without a secondary layer of packaging, says Flipkart
As per Dharashree Panda, Director-Sustainability, Flipkart, the company has eliminated 100 per cent single-use plastic packaging in their own supply chain by adopting sustainable packaging alternatives and working with several stakeholders across traceability.
- Jul 4, 2022,
- Updated Jul 4, 2022 6:01 PM IST
Recently committed to achieving net-zero emission targets by 2040, home-grown e-commerce player Flipkart is making conscious efforts to incorporate sustainability across functions to reduce environmental impacts. Flipkart Group companies, including e-commerce marketplace Flipkart and leading fashion destination Myntra, have eliminated 100 per cent single-use plastic packaging in their own supply chain by adopting sustainable packaging alternatives and working with several stakeholders across traceability, plastic reduction and brands and universities to name a few, Dharashree Panda, Director-Sustainability, Flipkart, told Business Today.
Other key initiatives undertaken by Flipkart include ‘E-commerce ready packaging’, where Flipkart has been able to ship close to 15 per cent of products without adding a secondary layer of packaging.
“Our ambition is to reduce the need for an outer layer by working with brands across apparel, electronics and home furnishings to ship their products in the original manufacturer/brand packaging. We are also working towards making sure that the packaging used does not cause any deforestation by scaling packaging from recycled and alternative materials,” added Panda.
Flipkart claims to have introduced scalable sustainable alternatives such as eco-friendly paper shreds, replacing poly pouches with recycled paper bags, replacing bubble wraps with carton waste shredded material and 2-Ply roll, to name a few. And through its network of recyclers, the equivalent quantity of single-use plastic going to consumers is fully recycled.
Flipkart said it is extending this to plastic-free returns in the supply chain and plastic-free returns for sellers.
“We have taken various steps…which include analysing and studying circular economy models, looking at ways for packaging optimization, creating national standards on packaging materials to reduce waste in our supply chain, promoting reusable materials, and encouraging green packaging. In July 2021, more than 75 per cent of Flipkart’s seller fulfilled shipments have also been processed in sustainable packaging. This covers more than 700 hubs across India,” added Panda.
Flipkart, along with Myntra, recently partnered with Canopy, a not-for-profit environmental organisation, for responsible sourcing of sustainable packaging and man-made cellulosic fibers. The company has collaborated with WWF-India under the Un-Plastic Collective (UPC) - a voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiative, to drive corporate action toward solutions on plastic leakage.
Recently committed to achieving net-zero emission targets by 2040, home-grown e-commerce player Flipkart is making conscious efforts to incorporate sustainability across functions to reduce environmental impacts. Flipkart Group companies, including e-commerce marketplace Flipkart and leading fashion destination Myntra, have eliminated 100 per cent single-use plastic packaging in their own supply chain by adopting sustainable packaging alternatives and working with several stakeholders across traceability, plastic reduction and brands and universities to name a few, Dharashree Panda, Director-Sustainability, Flipkart, told Business Today.
Other key initiatives undertaken by Flipkart include ‘E-commerce ready packaging’, where Flipkart has been able to ship close to 15 per cent of products without adding a secondary layer of packaging.
“Our ambition is to reduce the need for an outer layer by working with brands across apparel, electronics and home furnishings to ship their products in the original manufacturer/brand packaging. We are also working towards making sure that the packaging used does not cause any deforestation by scaling packaging from recycled and alternative materials,” added Panda.
Flipkart claims to have introduced scalable sustainable alternatives such as eco-friendly paper shreds, replacing poly pouches with recycled paper bags, replacing bubble wraps with carton waste shredded material and 2-Ply roll, to name a few. And through its network of recyclers, the equivalent quantity of single-use plastic going to consumers is fully recycled.
Flipkart said it is extending this to plastic-free returns in the supply chain and plastic-free returns for sellers.
“We have taken various steps…which include analysing and studying circular economy models, looking at ways for packaging optimization, creating national standards on packaging materials to reduce waste in our supply chain, promoting reusable materials, and encouraging green packaging. In July 2021, more than 75 per cent of Flipkart’s seller fulfilled shipments have also been processed in sustainable packaging. This covers more than 700 hubs across India,” added Panda.
Flipkart, along with Myntra, recently partnered with Canopy, a not-for-profit environmental organisation, for responsible sourcing of sustainable packaging and man-made cellulosic fibers. The company has collaborated with WWF-India under the Un-Plastic Collective (UPC) - a voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiative, to drive corporate action toward solutions on plastic leakage.