Bags are flooding in: 22 billion plastic packaging could go out of fashion by 2030
The cost of online clothes is not only a burden on our wallets, but also on the environment: according to a recent analysis by DS Smith, nearly 22 billion plastic bags could arrive in European households as packaging for fashion products by 2030. The packaging technology company is urging stricter regulations and the development of paper-based alternatives.
The fashion industry’s online expansion could lead to a drastic increase in plastic packaging: according to a survey commissioned by DS Smith, online fashion retailers in six leading European countries (including the United Kingdom, Germany and France) used 2.9 billion plastic bags in 2024. That’s 7.8 million per day – and the trend is rising.
According to the forecast, we can expect 4.2 billion of such packaging per year by 2030, or a total of 21.8 billion in five years. The worrying data is not only about the quantity: currently only 7% of these bags are recycled, the rest are landfilled or incinerated – more than 2.6 billion pieces per year.
Recycling on the decline, e-commerce on the rise
While many countries – including Hungary – have already taken action to regulate plastic bags sold in physical stores, e-commerce packaging is often left out of these measures. According to DS Smith, this could lead to serious ecological consequences if there is no rapid and decisive change.
“Together with the world’s biggest brands, we have already replaced more than a billion pieces of plastic packaging in recent years, but this is still not enough. There are simply not enough paper-based alternatives on the market,” said Levente Szabó, Managing Director of DS Smith Packaging Hungary Kft.
Related news
Packaging changes color when food spoils – new invention could revolutionize the fight against food waste
Three young Spanish people, Pilar Granado, Pablo Sosa Domínguez and…
Read more >Rossmann has exploded onto the e-commerce top list
Rossmann is included for the first time in the 2024…
Read more >Omnichannel or nothing – a new direction in e-commerce
Norbert Madar, the leader of PwC’s digital commerce team gave…
Read more >Related news
Now you can get the ingredients for Hungarian lecsó up to 20% cheaper at PENNY
The unmissable favorite of the summer season is fresh, homemade…
Read more >What can cause the price of a wine to increase tenfold?
There are fewer of them worldwide than the number of…
Read more >Corporate leaders’ commitment to sustainability at record level
According to the latest data from the K&H Sustainability Index,…
Read more >