E-Com Ready: The future of sustainable supply chains

Reduced carbon footprint, improved working environments, and more efficient logistics. The E-Com Ready project demonstrates that e-commerce-optimised packaging can lower environmental impact while simultaneously saving significant costs for both suppliers and retailers.

Currently, most retail suppliers are primarily geared towards physical stores. This means that goods often arrive at e-commerce warehouses in small retail packaging with unnecessary materials designed for shop shelves. The E-Com Ready project (funded via ASTER/Next Gen Retail) was based on the hypothesis that e-commerce can become both more efficient and sustainable if deliveries are instead adapted directly for e-commerce logic.

Immense potential for impact

Through pilot tests at Apotea and Blomsterlandet, the project measured the impact before and after the conversion of product transport packaging. The results show significant potential to increase efficiency and reduce total resource consumption.

Key Performance Indicators (Pilot Apotea)

Cost savings 97%

Reduced carbon footprint 77%

The E-Com Ready project has been very valuable for Apotea; it gave us a method, data, and showed very positive results for us and our suppliers. The project has also enabled valuable collaboration with other actors in the industry, which is a prerequisite for creating sustainable solutions

Erika Svensson, Sustainability Manager at Apotea

Pilot tests with real-world impact

Apotea: Optimised inbound deliveries

By collaborating with suppliers to replace small packaging with larger units (for example, 300-packs instead of the standard 2–6-packs), major gains have been made in warehouse management.

When we receive deliveries of goods to our warehouse in, for example, a 300-pack, instead of the most common size of a 2–6-pack, we save a lot of packaging, which is fantastic for efficiency and the climate.

Erika Svensson, Sustainability Manager Apotea

Blomsterlandet: Reusability and working environmen

Blomsterlandet evaluated reusable solutions and e-commerce-ready packaging, resulting in reduced resource consumption and an improved daily routine for staff.

The results are fantastic. With efficient, e-commerce-ready packaging, you can unlock savings for both the wallet and the climate, while also improving the working environment

Andreas Karlsson, Purchasing Manager, Blomsterlandet

Results and tools

The project has resulted in concrete tools that now enable more actors to transition:

E-Com Ready Guidelines: A seven-point programme helping e-commerce companies and suppliers adapt inbound deliveries
E-Com Ready Footprint: A tool for measuring and creating e-commerce-ready packaging
Industry Definition: A clear definition of what "E-Com Ready" actually entails