After months of working in partnership with our supplier Direct Foam and Packaging, in 2020 Techbuyer made huge progress towards its target of environmentally friendly packaging in the warehouse.
Our first success was a new style of foam for our servers. The products, which were entirely new to market and about to be patented, are made from 70 per cent recycled plastic rather than the traditional less than 10 per cent. Each sheet used contains 97 plastic converted bottles, which might otherwise end in landfill or the ocean. Along with the packaging for our server caps, phasing this in meant that Techbuyer took a great stride toward our goal of 100 percent recycled and recyclable packaging.
In 2020, we talked to the person who coordinated the project at the Techbuyer end, Lee Moss, UK Goods Out Team Coordinator, about progress at the time.
How long has Techbuyer been working on this with supplier Direct Foam and Packaging?
We have been working on this for over a year now, trying to come up with better packaging solutions that are more environmentally friendly and have much less impact on the environment. It hasn’t been easy but Direct Foam has come up with a revolutionary solution that should be a massive breakthrough on recyclable foam.
Why is it important to us?
It’s important for us because as a company we have always strived to be environmentally friendly in every way. Packaging is one of the most important aspects of this, and we are working hard at finding something that works for the environment and our core business. Of course, quality is very important because we need to ensure our products arrive to the customer undamaged.
What were the challenges of this project?
Finding the right balance between effectiveness and environmental friendliness took some time. There are numerous packaging solutions out there that are better for the environment than the ones we were using, but after numerous tests and trials these solutions didn’t have the quality that we needed.
It was fantastic news when Steve contacted me explaining he had a breakthrough with one of our main issues: foam. The company has discovered a new product that meets all of Techbuyer’s standards as well as being more environmentally friendly. Trials are still ongoing and we may be redesigning a little, but we are happy now that we have the right material for the job.
What are we looking at next?
We are looking into the possibility of bubble wrap next, which again is proving a challenge mainly because of the quality of products out there. The confidence is there, though, and we will be working alongside our current supplier to come up with better alternatives. We are also looking at changing the tape we currently use, moving towards paper tape which is fully recyclable. Again, we are in the process of finding the right product that is exactly suitable for Techbuyer’s specific needs.
What other initiatives are in the pipeline?
Plenty of things, as Direct Foam is currently assessing all our current packaging and looking for better, more environmentally friendly solutions. We are awaiting trial results on SHE boxes, which are sections of card backed foam which fold together like a book to enclose an item, with a cardboard sleeve. These are currently made out of Power Unit and Paper. We also have an ongoing trial from the start of 2020 with PET 100 per cent recyclable server foam.
We are proud that, when you look at the proportion of our recyclable packaging by weight, 64 per cent of this are reduced, reused, recycled or recovered. Thanks to the oncoming packaging trials and a great relationship with our supplier, we’re confident that we will reach our 100 per cent recycled and recyclable target in time.
Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash
