Several large Dutch municipalities want the government to encourage the use of reusable shipping packaging. According to a document sent to members of the House of Representatives and signed by Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Tilburg, the growing volume of cardboard from the hundreds of millions of parcels delivered each year is creating problems for local authorities.
“The increasing amount of cardboard leads to overflowing containers, litter and nuisance, particularly in urban areas with underground collection systems. The pressure on municipal waste collection and processing results in millions of euros in societal costs,” the document states. Several companies and civil society organisations have also backed the proposal.
“Reuse offers a real solution,” said Utrecht alderperson Susanne Schilderman, responsible for Economic Affairs and the Circular Economy. “Many drop-off points have already opened in Utrecht, and it is clear that this works.”
More than 600 million parcels were shipped in the Netherlands last year, generating tens of millions of kilograms of cardboard packaging waste. New European packaging legislation (PPWR) aims to make recyclable packaging the standard. While some packaging will also need to be reusable, these requirements do not apply to cardboard packaging.
The signatories argue that reusable shipping packaging could significantly reduce waste. They want online retailers to be required to offer consumers the option of reusable packaging. Under their proposal, consumers would be able to return the packaging at dedicated collection points through a deposit-style system, similar to schemes already operating in some locations.
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