The Flexible Packaging Association’s report, Sustainability Life Cycle and Economic Impacts of Flexible Packaging in E-commerce, provides a holistic view of the sustainability benefits that flexible packaging offers in e-commerce and to quantify the environmental and economic shipping impacts comparing flexible packaging to other formats across a range of products.
E-commerce is a growing economic segment, experiencing a 14.9% growth rate in 20191 in the U.S., and is expected to maintain annual growth rates of approximately 13% through 2023. As more products are shipped via e-commerce, brands continue to look for ways to optimize the shipping, reduce costs, and reduce environmental impact, while offering consumers a positive experience. In an effort to achieve these goals, more brands and e-commerce providers are using flexible packaging as either the primary package due to its ability to withstand robust handling and limit leaks, or as the e commerce delivery pack itself as a way to reduce the amount of packaging material and space utilized.
The report for the FPA was prepared by PTIS.