Growing Demand for Cooled Shipping
Boom in chilled shipping in the food and pharmaceutical sectors
Whether sensitive foodstuffs or vital medicines - refrigerated shipping plays a crucial role in modern logistics. Not only are the requirements for reliability increasing, but also for sustainability.
Problems with single-use materials
Insulation, inlays and cool packs are often disposable products that generate a lot of waste and are expensive to purchase. Customers have a negative perception of this waste, which can negatively impact the shopping experience.
Benefits of Reusable Packaging for Cooled Shipping
Waste Reduction & Cost Savings:
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Waste-intensive disposable packaging: Disposable insulation and cool packs generate unnecessary waste and additional costs.
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Reusable packaging: Reusing packaging, insulation and cool packs can significantly reduce waste, while reducing costs.
Cost-Effective Returns:
Returning packaging costs less than regularly buying new packaging and insulation. This pays off, especially in industries where refrigerated products are regularly shipped. For a return shipment of Ø 4€, material of 6-10€ can be recovered and used several times.
Sustainability & Customer Loyalty
Reusable packaging not only offers practical advantages, but also creates a more environmentally friendly unboxing experience that strengthens customer loyalty.
hey circle assists with chilled shipping with reusable packaging
It's a match: cooling materials in reusable packaging
‘Our reusable packaging is perfect for use in refrigerated shipping. They are robust, sustainable and help to ensure that insulating materials and cool packs can be safely returned and reused.’ - Doris Diebold, CEO & Founder hey circle.
Collaboration with science
Studies that we conducted together with the University of Steyr prove the suitability of our hey circle packaging for the use of sustainable insulating materials and coolants. These research results emphasise the advantages in terms of sustainability and cost efficiency.
➡️ https://www.logistikum-retail.at/respac
'As a rule, parcels can be returned to the parcel carrier with the next delivery, meaning that even in rural areas there is no need to drive to the nearest parcel drop-off point. In order to achieve high return rates of at least 98 per cent, hey circle uses a psychologically and financially strong incentive system and handles the deposit-free, IT-supported system for retailers.’ - Doris Diebold, CEO & Founder hey circle.
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Calculation example: Better environmental impact
In this example, based on the study by Steyr University of Applied Sciences, we use the hey circle Box XL with environmentally friendly insulation material made from cellulose insulation.
The box is reused 50 times, the insulation 5 times. Compared to a disposable box and one-time use of the insulation material, the shipper saves money:
83 %
CO2 emissions
80 %
Waste
Source:
Insulation element made of cellulose insulation material: Values from the study by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, extrapolated from size M Supaso
Box XL: Extrapolated from Ökopol calculation for hey circle Box L with 0% recyclate, production in China vs. double-wall shipping carton 80% recyclate
Conclusion: Reusable packaging is the key to greater efficiency and sustainability when shipping chilled food
With reusable packaging from hey circle, you create a win-win situation:
Less waste, lower costs and an optimised customer experience.
Growth market
Online grocery retail is considered a growth market in Germany. It grew in Q1 2024, with a turnover of 913 million euros. Further growth is expected.
Reusable is sustainable
Using a reusable box from hey circle saves up to 76% CO2 emissions and 94% waste compared to cardboard boxes. Reusable refrigeration pays off twice over.
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Conventional, single-use insulating materials, inlays and cool packs are waste-intensive and expensive. Environmental pollution and disposal costs also bother customers, which is why reusable packaging is good for differentiation.
Returns save costs
Return shipping costs less than buying new packaging and insulation.