Reduction in packaging waste with boom in used cardboard box sales

Sales of pre-used cardboard boxes have trebled in the past 12 months for Priory Direct, which supplies sustainable packaging to more than 21,000 businesses. The firm has gained 174 new buyers for its range of used boxes since May 2023, whilst 20 existing customers significantly upped their spend, many by several hundred per cent. Most of these clients are retailers, in particular of clothing, furniture, toys and online gifts.

Cardboard is a durable, versatile and usually 100 per cent recyclable packaging material, particularly if made using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-approved materials and sealed with paper tape rather than plastic tape. Compared to other packaging materials, the manufacturing process is less carbon intensive and where the wider supply chain has focused on reducing emissions in manufacturing and distribution, cardboard can be a climate neutral packaging choice.

Priory Direct’s Managing Director, Josh Pitman, believes the trebling in pre-used box sales is evidence that the packaging industry is becoming more circular and that retailers, which make up the majority of these customers, are truly embracing sustainability.

Pitman, whose Kent-based firm is working to lower the environmental impact of ecommerce, says:

“In a world where a growing number of retailers, including big name brands, are embracing the circular economy by refurbishing, repairing or re-selling pre-used stock, packaging has a significant part to play. Used boxes are a way for retailers to further reduce the impact of their operation on the environment, minimise waste, and also save on costs. I think the three-fold increase we have seen in used box sales also reflects the changing attitude and expectation of consumers.”

Sales of all products in the firm’s used boxes range have significantly increased in the last 12 months. Aside from retailers, other buyers span a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, software developers, education providers and chartered surveyors. Priory Direct has also begun shipping more than 95 per cent of its own stock in used cardboard boxes, saving the business approximately £90,000 per year.

As well as cardboard’s suitability for reuse, at end of life, cardboard recycling rates in the UK have been consistently high in recent years, making it one of the most recycled packaging materials. According to Defra statistics, 71% of paper and cardboard packaging was recycled in 2021, compared with 44% of plastic packaging. Cardboard is also biodegradable, with corrugated cardboard generally degrading completely within a year thanks to its cellulose composition.

Pitman, whose firm sells 2,000 sustainable products ranging from cardboard boxes to mailing bags primarily to online retailers, adds:

“Whilst as a business we make less profit on selling used boxes, the packaging industry needs to move towards greater circularity. Transparency and ensuring a sustainable end of life is part of the manufacturing process for all our packaging products, but if we can first get as much use out of these boxes as possible, their sustainability credentials increase even more.

“By reusing boxes for the majority of our own shipments, we are also benefiting from this choice and are saving the firm thousands of pounds on costs.”

Priory Direct helps large retailers reduce their carbon footprint by tackling supply chain and operational challenges, helping to lower the environmental impact of ecommerce. The firm is partnered with international organisation 1% For the Planet, is carbon neutral, a certified B Corp, and working towards net neutrality by 2030.