Packaging – as little as possible, as much as necessary

In 2020 we phased out plastic bags for textile products in an effort to avoid and reduce packaging. Now, thanks to new packaging made from cardboard, we are able to save 30 million plastic bags every year. In 2021, we are reducing the amount of packaging we use for many non-food items, which will save even more cardboard. To do this, our packaging developers look at each product and assess how much packaging it needs to protect it.

Tchibo is also trialling a reusable shipping bag to ship our products. In the summer of 2020, we sent out 7,500 RePack reusable bags. The customers who received a reusable bag were selected at random. The result of the trial exceeded our expectations: 81% of customers returned the reusable bags. Of the 555 customers who answered questions about the reusable bags, 99% think a reusable system would be a good idea. 86% would be willing to pay a deposit. 63% would also be willing to contribute to the additional costs associated with implementing such a system. 90% would prefer to return the packaging by post, whilst 63% would also like to be able to return packaging to Tchibo shops. In 2021, we will assess what organisation needs to be in place to ensure that the use of reusable bags at Tchibo on a permanent basis is both ecologically sound and economically viable.

Reusable packaging calls for a comprehensive solution that also takes take-back points, return transport and cleaning into account. In order to find a way to overcome this complex challenge, we have signed up to the joint project ‘praxpack’, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The pilot test was also carried out as part of this project, working alongside other companies. The project results are regularly published at www.praxpack.de, enabling us to contribute to sustainable development in the industry.