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~ Topic Special ~

TOPIC SPECIAL:

SUSTAINABILITY

Text: Sanne Leenders // Photos: PostNL, Ranpak

very year, there are a number of relevant themes that lend themselves to e-commerce and cross-
border selling. To take a deeper look into these themes, we would like to introduce our latest rubric,
Ethe Topic Special. The Topic Special deals with the most relevant topics within e-commerce and
cross-border selling by means of a Q&A with experts on in-depth issues within the topic. We’re kicking off
this issue with a Topic Special on Sustainability, a staying trend in online retail and internationalisation.
Blide Druk, Program Manager Sustainability at PostNL, and Dan Roumen, Product Manager Void Fill at
Ranpak, give us a closer look into end-consumers and their customers’ expectations and their sustainable
packaging solutions.

BLIDE DRUK, DAN ROUMEN,
PROGRAM MANAGER SUSTAINABILITY AT POSTNL PRODUCT MANAGER VOID FILL AT RANPAK
INTERNATIONAL
HOW MUCH DO YOUR CLIENTS CARE ABOUT
HOW MUCH DO YOUR CLIENTS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?
SUSTAINABILITY? Ranpak uses a worldwide distributor network
Most of our customers care about sustainability. to sell their wide range of paper qualities and,
The number of customers who care is growing, therefore, has to look after the demands of their
and they’re becoming more serious about it too. For distributors on sustainability, as well as of their
example, we see a steep increase in detailed requirements customers. In the last couple of years, we’ve noticed
about sustainability. There is differentiation between customers, of course. strong growing demand in both groups concerning sustainability.
For some customers, it’s still a ‘nice to have’. We also have a group of Since the distributors have chosen sustainable solutions from Ranpak, most
customers who are forerunners for the sustainability targets. Having of them many years ago, their level of attention toward sustainable items
transparent, ambitious goals and taking the extra step are now must-have’s is already higher than usual. Next to Ranpak’s protective paper solutions,
to do business with them. For PostNL, that’s great because it means we can they have an increasing number of items in their product range that carry
face the challenges that still exist in sustainable cross-border e-commerce a sustainable image. The recent introduction of FSC® for all paper qualities
together. produced by Ranpak in Europe increased sensitivity on this subject, and
more companies are determined to become FSC®-certificated too. And as
stated above, their customers also have higher demands and sensitivity for
sustainable products and production methods.
HOW MUCH DO END-CONSUMERS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?
With end-consumers, we see the same trend as with online retailers.
Most consumers care about sustainability, and here as well, the amount is
growing, and they’re getting more serious about the matter. They share
their worries about the unused space in their parcels and vans in their HOW MUCH DO END CONSUMERS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?
streets. Current surveys show a growing group is willing to pay extra when Ranpak recently executed, via an international consumer research company, a
they can count on a more sustainable journey. This is a real shift in trend. sustainability survey among consumers in the UK, Germany and France. More
Earlier surveys have always shown customers cared, but they didn’t want than 80% of the participants would be more likely to purchase from brands
to pay extra. And talk about a trend-shift: forerunner customers ask for that ship sustainably than those that do not. Over 85% would prefer to see
slower delivery to prevent polluting transport means like planes. more paper and less plastic used in packaging. They would be more likely to
buy from brands that use paper packaging made from responsibly managed,
certified forests, like FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®). About 25% of the
participants noted that there was an unnecessary amount of plastic inside
the package, and another 20% thought that more plastic air bubbles or other
forms of plastic were used for protection inside.

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