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Svenska Retursystem - circular logistics with durable crates and pallets pooling

Last updated: Jan 18, 2023

Summary

Retail requires large amounts of packaging, which is often cheaply made and disposable. This does not only lead to high waste regarding the packaging itself, but also because the relatively cheaply made packaging increases the number of damaged goods. Svenska Retursystem is the Swedish system for reusable pallets and crates that are then recollected, washed and reused. Their products are used across Sweden in half of all fresh produce deliveries and most major retailers, and have helped the industry to save around 30,000 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions every year.

Problem

The use of disposable packaging is not only a major issue in consumer goods, but also in the logistics and transport of retail products. Many products are being delivered in single-use crates or packages, which are being thrown away as soon as the products are on the shelves. Because they are created to be used only once, they are also often created quite cheaply, and thus do not protect the goods as good as they could. Through this, they also lead to more waste indirectly, as the damaged goods are likely to be thrown away.

Solution

Svenska Retursystem has established a system of standardised logistics that is shared between numerous stores and producers. The crates are used in a cycle between producers, wholesalers, stores and restaurants. Between each loop the crates return to Svenska Retursystem logistics facilities to be washed, checked and repaired. Each crate is coated with a deposit which follow the crate through the system. The faster a crate travels through the system, the better for the environment.

All crates are manufactured out of durable, recyclable plastic (polypropylene) and thebale arms of polyamide. They are constructed for use over and over again without affecting the quality.

As the company wants to reuse their crates, they are also built much more sturdily than single-use containers, which reduces the number of damaged goods that have to be thrown away. All crates are manufactured out of durable, recyclable plastic (polypropylene) and thebale arms of polyamide. They are constructed for use over and over again without affecting the quality. Once containers and pallets are no longer usable, they are ground down and recycled into new pallets and containers, closing the loop for the production of logistics equipment as well.

Outcome

Svenska Retursystem provides approximately 20 million crates and 8 million pallets. In 2021, the industry saved more than 36,000 tonnes of CO2 by using Svenska Retursystem's crates and pallets.