Evaluating Returnable Packaging Systems for Sustainable Electronic Commerce Supply Chains

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Electronic commerce (e-commerce) has being rapidly growing in Canada. The larger amount of packaging materials used in e-commerce has been a critical issue in the retail industry in terms of environmental sustainability. Environmentally sustainable packaging can be achieved by improving packaging materials, structures, and systems. Packaging management systems (e.g., the single-use disposal packaging system and the returnable packaging system) should be efficient and effective for targeted supply chains. Reusable/returnable packaging systems are used in many industries, such as the grocery and automotive industries, as sustainable options (Twede and Clarke 2004). ******Within the last five years, some start-up companies have developed business models to supply and manage returnable packaging systems for e-commerce retailers. In their business models, the end consumers can get rewards or discounts from the providers when they return the reusable packaging to the provider or retailer. These business models show that it is possible to apply returnable packaging systems more often to e-commerce retail.******Many studies have reported that reusable/returnable packaging systems reap many more environmental benefits compared to expendable packaging systems. However, there is little information available on returnable packaging systems in e-commerce retail in terms of environmental sustainability. Moreover, there is currently a lack of knowledge about e-commerce supply chain distribution environments in Canada (e.g., concerning shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity). Packaging designers and engineers may create excess packaging for the e-commerce market without having the necessary scientific data about the distribution environment (Kipp 2008). The absence of data has led to the absence of a packaging design framework for e-commerce. The lack of information means this is the right time to explore packaging design and systems in e-commerce supply chains and reduce their negative environmental impact. The key objectives of this proposal therefore are:******a) investigating the environmental sustainability of returnable/reusable packaging systems used as part of e-commerce retail supply chains in Canada using life cycle assessments,***b) executing field studies to identify and measure hazards (e.g., shock and vibration) in distribution environments in e-commerce supply chains, and c) develop preshipment packaging test protocols for e-commerce distribution in Canada