Initiatives for e-commerce marketplaces to promote sustainable packaging to consumers and drive awareness and responsibilities among suppliers are also outlined.
A recent study by WWF-Singapore found that consumers in Singapore are open to more sustainable packaging and may even be willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly choices.
The guidelines also feature a scorecard tool for companies to assess their sustainability efforts and identify areas for improvement.
“Based on real-world case studies, companies may uncover opportunities to reduce packaging needs by up to 90 per cent, such as by switching from a corrugated cardboard box to a similar-sized paper mailer,” NEA, SMF and SingPost said.
For instance, beauty and health retailer Watsons Singapore reduced bubble wrap usage and repurposed shredded cardboard as filler material, leading to cost savings of 5 to 10 per cent. Packaging company Sealed Air found that faster deliveries enabled apparel retailers to use less protective packaging, cutting plastic and paper mailer material by 30 to 50 per cent.
To encourage businesses to adopt these guidelines, workshops will be conducted under the Packaging Partnership Programme, launched in 2021 and administered by SMF.
Addressing packaging waste is a key goal under Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan, which aims to increase the national recycling rate to 70 per cent by 2030.
“All stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem, including businesses and consumers, have an important role to play in managing packaging materials responsibly,” said NEA, SMF and SingPost.
