Bengaluru - May 18, 2020: Flipkart, India's homegrown ecommerce marketplace, has been working across the ecosystem to evaluate and introduce sustainable packaging materials in its supply chain. As part of its efforts to move towards zero waste, the company has been able to reduce plastic packaging in its supply chain, and has cut down the usage of plastic packaging in its own supply chain to ~50%. Flipkart has now started phasing out plastic packaging from its own supply chain in Maharashtra through usage of Paper based packaging starting May 1st, 2020.
Sustainable Packaging Initiatives
The company has been driving several initiatives as it pursues sustainable growth:
Introduction of eco-friendly paper shreds.
Replacing poly pouches with recycled paper bags.
Replacing bubble wraps and airbags with carton waste shredded material and 2 Ply roll.
Specifically, for Flipkart's supply chain assets in Maharashtra:
Plastic security bags are being replaced with security envelopes made of paper.
All fillers and wrapping films have been replaced with cushioning materials made from recycled paper.
Flipkart is actively working with policy makers and stakeholders to provide a conducive and feasible transition path for its lakhs of seller partners to gradually adopt affordable, scalable, and widely available sustainable packaging alternatives. Flipkart works with over 200,000 local sellers, mostly MSMEs, many of whom also ship customer orders directly and make their own packaging decisions.
Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, "Flipkart is strongly committed to environmental sustainability and is working actively with various partners on long-term sustainability initiatives, helping drive ecosystem awareness. We are pleased with the progress made in our own supply chain to introduce and explore different packaging concepts to have an impact now and in the future".
Broader Sustainability Efforts
Flipkart's broader environmental sustainability efforts include:
Introduction of electric vehicles in its last-mile delivery network.
Resource efficiency and use of renewables.
Waste reduction and management.
ISO 14001 certification for its strategic facilities.
About Flipkart
The Flipkart Group includes group companies Flipkart, Myntra, and PhonePe. Started in 2007, Flipkart has a registered customer base of over 200 million, offering over 150 million products across 80+ categories. Flipkart is known for pioneering services such as Cash on Delivery, No Cost EMI and easy returns.
For media queries, contact media@flipkart.com.
