Maximum Sustainability

Mr. Désilets, the importance of digital grocery shopping has been steadily increasing in Germany in recent years...
Yes, that's right, except for special products, many foods can now be ordered and delivered to the region. The starting point is increasingly local shops or warehouses that supply their region, and more and more often on the same day. A “last-mile delivery service” has been created, similar to the delivery service for catering. Therefore, both services are also working more closely together and combining their strengths and expertise.

What potential does this offer for the food industry?
That clearly depends on the logistics and on where the food is stored – in the store “around the corner” or in a central warehouse that delivers overnight. For example, the latter offers better control of volumes to even out peaks. If in doubt, the local shop is limited to its stock. In addition, the online shop is better able to handle the quality of sensitive goods such as fruit and vegetables because they are less susceptible to damage in the warehouse than in the shop, where every customer touches the goods. The refrigeration chain is also easier to monitor in the central warehouse. This can reduce food waste.

And last but not least, automated processes and intelligent technologies are increasingly being used in the central warehouse for precise inventory management ...
The data collected offers enormous potential – for example, for improved forecasting of demand, taking into account weather data or public holidays, and optimising stock levels in real time.

Another major challenge in e-commerce is to make the packaging used for transport more sustainable. What are typical questions you get from companies in the food industry?
So far, the enquiries have been very much geared towards a change of material: How can companies reduce the amount of plastic they use while still achieving the same barrier properties and functions? How can sustainability be strengthened through better recyclability and a better image with consumers? The focus is currently very much on achieving a better understanding of the new legislation and what impact it will have on companies' packaging portfolios.

The hot topic here is the EU's PPWR – the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation ...
E-commerce will face significantly stricter requirements as a result of the new regulations. These are comparable to the requirements for transport packaging in many areas. According to the new rules, which are expected to apply as of 2026, packaging should not only be designed to be more environmentally friendly and recyclable, but should also place a focus on the basic idea of the circular economy, namely multiple use. That is why the focus is increasingly on packaging that can be reused or refilled multiple times without a recycling process. To this end, the PPWR sets specific quotas for the use of reusable packaging in the transport sector and in e-commerce. As things stand at present, at least 40 percent of the mail-order packaging offered is to be reusable by 2030. By 2040, EU member states are to aim for 70 percent reusability in e-commerce.

What must packaging be able to do from an online retailer's point of view?
Foods place different demands on packaging than consumer goods or electrical appliances. Food products are usually packaged and shipped in bundles, which means that additional shock absorption and insulation is usually needed to ensure that the products reach their destination undamaged Overpacking, however, is counter-productive here, for example when the unpacking experience involves disposing of piles of bubble wrap. The trend here is already clearly moving towards fibre-based packaging material and reduced packaging in order to minimise empty space. In the future, the requirements for reusable packaging will also result in more stable packaging. Together with transport cases, interior compartments for reverse logistics, for example, can be rethought. The same applies to a combination of dry products, fresh and frozen goods in the same shipping box.

In addition, temperature limits often have to be observed during transport ...
The refrigeration chain certainly plays a major role in ensuring freshness. But that's not a problem in itself. There are already various solutions on the market for fresh and frozen products. This packaging is usually more elaborate and more expensive. However, together with the increasing and required trend towards reusability, these more expensive types of packaging can also offer cost advantages with each use through a return and reuse system. It will be important to gain experience in this area in good time in order to decide on the right concept later on.

What support does Pacoon offer?
In addition to the packaging design, one of our services includes monitoring legislation. The new requirements of the PPWR are particularly complex; the preface and appendices of the legislation add up to around 260 pages and contain many cross-references. This includes requirements for reusable packaging, empty space in packaging, recycled materials and other packaging concepts. We have therefore summarised the requirements in an easy-to-understand way, including through customer projects. After all, no one wants to read the law over and over again and constantly ask for their lawyer's advice. Instead, they want to know what impact it will have on the packaging portfolio. In this context, we are currently being approached by many people from EU and non-EU countries who are often not yet aware of the PPWR.

So how can the new requirements be accessed more quickly?
For ease of understanding, we have converted the PPWR into guidelines and decision trees. It is important to understand the requirements across the entire portfolio. Therefore, companies need to familiarise themselves with the law and the requirements in good time. Otherwise, they'll run out of time – and then there is the threat of a marketing ban in the EU market – even for companies that deliver to the EU.

In conclusion, the question: If you think ten years ahead: What will change in the e-commerce of food?
E-commerce will be an established distribution channel, perhaps even more important than the corner shop. The death of retail shops will also continue for grocers.

What developments do you see here?
The younger target groups are already ordering food online, while older people appreciate the delivery service for their weekly shop or heavy items such as beverages. The cost of housing continues to rise, forcing people to save. Since food is not very highly valued in Germany, this will accelerate the trend towards fast food and delivery services. What's more, many households no longer really know how to cook and have already switched to ready meals. The catering industry will therefore function as a social space, with people eating at home or at friends' houses beforehand – either delivered food or ready meals they have prepared themselves.

What does this mean for the packaging industry?
I believe that the fresh and frozen food product ranges will increase. After all, there are already entire chains in Germany and abroad that consist entirely of frozen goods, such as Iceland in the UK or Bofrost and Eismann as delivery services in Germany. That's why we're already developing packaging concepts for cooked or baked foods that can be heated in the microwave. And this in turn offers new possibilities for quickly preparing a wide variety of foods in an energy-efficient way at home or in the office.