The Alliance for Action (AfA), a body aiming for packaging waste reduction in the e-commerce sector in Singapore, has released a set of sustainable packaging guidelines for the country.
The guidelines were developed by the members of the AfA, involving 14 companies across the e-commerce supply chain.
The AfA is co-led by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation and Singapore Post, with support from the country’s National Environment Agency.
As per the AfA’s estimates, 186,000 parcels were delivered daily in Singapore in 2023, resulting in approximately 15,900 tonnes of packaging waste.
The new guidelines provide a detailed list of reduce, reuse, and recycle solutions tailored to various types of e-commerce packaging such as cardboard boxes, mailers, and fillers.
Each solution comes with actionable steps for businesses, along with the anticipated benefits and potential drawbacks.
The guidelines also aim to assist companies in selecting the most suitable solutions for them.
An additional feature of the guidelines is a scorecard for company leaders to evaluate their sustainable packaging management practices and identify areas for improvement.
Real-world case studies within the guidelines suggest that companies could reduce their packaging needs by up to 90%, for example, by switching from corrugated cardboard boxes to paper mailers of a similar size.
To facilitate the adoption of these guidelines, the Packaging Partnership Programme, administered by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, will conduct workshops for businesses.
