Post Loop - reusable packaging for the e-commerce
Country: Austria
Category: E-Commerce
With the Post Loop-circle, Austrian Post is introducing a new service for reusable packaging in e-commerce. The service enables e-commerce retailers to ship their products in reusable packaging. The recipients pick up the products, fold up the packaging and return it via mailboxes, postal partners, post offices or postal zones. The packaging is collected by Austrian Post and, depending on the tariff, returned to the online store or to an Austrian Post cleaning hub, where the packaging is prepared for the next shipment. Depending on the type of packaging, it can complete up to 30 shipping cycles.
By offering reusable packaging, a drastic reduction of resources for the production of new packaging is achieved. Therefore, up to 80% of emissions can be saved by using reusable packaging. The roll-out will also open up a new market and gather know-how and best practice expertise.
Companies can choose different rates of the "Post Loop" depending on their needs.
a) Post Loop-Service
If companies choose the Post Loop-Service, they can purchase their own reusable packaging. Austrian Post will then take care of the return shipping of the empty and folded packaging to the retailer.
b) Post Loop-Service Plus
Post Loop Service Plus is a complete service that covers the entire packaging cycle. Companies can obtain shipping packaging directly from Austrian Post, which takes care of the goods dispatch and return transport and the preparation of the packaging for the next dispatch cycle. In concrete terms, this means that the empty, returned packaging is taken from one of the return points to an Austrian Post warehouse. There, the intact packaging is cleaned and the shipping labels are removed. They are then inventoried and stored until they are needed for the next order.