DS Smith reveals excessive packaging frustrations: “Consumers don’t want it, the planet won’t thank us”

13 Dec 2022 | By Natalie Schwertheim

13 Dec 2022 --- A recent online survey by DS Smith has revealed growing consumer frustrations around excessive packaging. Specifically, online shoppers are increasingly discontent with packages arriving oversized and being too flimsy, covered with excessive tape or not being waterproof or recyclable.

Those are among the main findings of the newly released national survey by packaging leader DS Smith, which tracked the frustrations amid a jump in e-commerce over the past two years that is continuing into the holiday season.

“The idea of oversized boxes, containing excess packing material, that in turn overly fill delivery trucks, is not something any of us should perpetuate – consumers don’t want it, businesses can’t afford it and ultimately the planet won’t thank us for it,” says DS Smith’s Melanie Galloway, vice president sales marketing and innovation.

When participants gave feedback on the packages they received with too much extra space, 38% say about half of their deliveries were filled with air and 39% say it was a quarter of air. Other problems with their packages include:

Too big for the products being shipped (41%)
Uses too much filler (29%)
Not waterproof (27%)
Is flimsy and easily damaged (25%)
Uses too much plastic tape (24%)
Difficult to open (21%)
Not recyclable (12%)

The poll was conducted between October 14-18 and involved 1,000 respondents, using an online data collection methodology from research firm Torfac.Online shoppers are increasingly frustrated by the abundance of packages arriving oversized.

Environmental sustainability as key driver
A striking majority of consumers in the survey (81%) overwhelmingly stated that the environmental sustainability of packaging matters to them, so much so that about 40% would pay more for it. A third said they would pay up to 24% more, and nearly another third would pay at least 25% or more.

Innova Market Insights further shows that 38% of global consumers pay attention to sustainability claims on packaging, and 17% do so strongly.

DS Smith says the results underscore its efforts to provide environmentally friendly products that replace problem plastics, remove carbon from supply chains and provide innovative recycling solutions.

“Online shopping remains popular, so the onus is on businesses to design out waste and make sure materials can stay in use for as long as possible,” says Galloway.

“That is why DS Smith’s mission is to be a leader in the [environmentally] sustainable packaging space, working to offer innovative solutions to these problems to make consumers’ sustainability goals easier to achieve.”

Recycling embrace amid e-commerce expansion
The poll also shows widespread support among consumers for recycling. More than 40% indicated that their recycling has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and nearly 70% said they recycle cardboard packaging from online deliveries always or most of the time.

Furthermore, Innova Market Insights found that 15% of global consumers strongly agree with the statement that they would prefer buying a product that has recyclable packaging even if it costs more than a similar product with regular packaging while a further 36.5% of global consumers agree with the statement less strongly.Two-thirds of consumers surveyed said they would be more likely to purchase products either packaged in paper or cardboard.

The growing awareness around recycling matches the spike in e-commerce, with two-thirds saying their frequency of buying online has increased, and more than half saying they expect that to continue to grow, according to DS Smith.

In pushing for environmentally sustainable products, two-thirds of consumers (64%) surveyed said they would be more likely to purchase products either packaged in or using paper and cardboard so it can be reused or recycled.

Oversized boxes containing excess packing material take up more space during transit, creating unnecessary delivery trips which can impact the amount of carbon emissions produced.

Last month, the European Commission (EC) announced it is preparing to unveil new legislation limiting packaging size and the amount of “empty space” in e-commerce boxes. According to a leaked document, the EC is trying to reduce packaging waste through the e-commerce industry, which has faced backlash regarding its over-packaging by environmentalists.

“The key issue with e-commerce is that platforms often use boxes too big for the article they are shipping. This increases packaging waste and delivery emissions because unnecessary space is wasted in postage services,” Jean-Pierre Schweitzer, deputy manager of circular economy at the European Environmental Bureau, told PackagingInsights.

By Natalie Schwertheim