5 minutes read: OpEd “Sustainable Delivery & Fulfilment” featuring Amazon , DS Smith & NanoFreeze . + introducing The Green Link Ecosystem Alliance’s CO2 specialist Oxia Initiative and a testimonial to the power of collaboration.
Op-Ed_
Sustainable Delivery & Fulfilment
This week will cover the 6th domain (out of 22) of our Sustainability Strategy Framework. This framework provides our clients with a holistic understanding of where they are making an impact through their environmental initiatives: core process, supporting function, upstream, downstream & stakeholders. Reach out if you’re interested to learn more about our sustainability strategy toolkit.
So last but not least in the core process of any company is “Deliver / Fulfil” – just before “End of Life” – to be featured in our next Catalyst edition. This domain encompasses both distribution (if you’re selling physical products) or performance (if you’re providing a service).
Let’s dive into industry leaders real-case examples from arounds the world where ingenuity was applied to ensure Deliver / Fulfil actions could have a better environmental footprint.
1/ Amazon uses AI to reduce apparel purchase returns
Part of the issue with selling physical products is the environmental impact consequences of “free-returns policies” and reverse-logistics due to the customer’s bad selection process. Not to mention that one these items are returned, they more than likely end-up in landfills or shipped to other countries for “recycling”.
Educated consumer is tricky, especially when – as is the case for the apparel industry – sizes mentioned are not always consistent from one brand to another. Enters AI and its ability to dive deep into data and create adequate correlation. That’s the path recently taken by Amazon as reported in Vogue .
Amazon has created Fit Insights, an AI-based LLM model, with the goal to reduce returns. This is achieved through data-mining on positive and negative customer feedbacks to detect when item’s fabric and size descriptions are as misleading and will lead to a return.
What is great about this approach is that not only will it decrease
More information on Fit Insights here.
2 / DS Smith’s ongoing mission to make supermarket plastic-free
Products can either be delivered to customers or customer can pick up the product. In both instances, extra packaging is used on top of the product’s own. Think shipping boxes for e-commerce or simply multipacks in supermarket.
Each of these options comes with an environmental footprint and in the latter case, plastic is still usually the status-quo go-to options (low cost, water-barrier, plastic-based. That’s why DS Smith , a UK based packaging manufacturer is exploring new avenues and has created a mock supermarket to perform real-life demonstration of its portfolio of alternatives to replace plastic ready-meal containers, shrink-wrap, bundle product packaging.
The company set a five-year target to eliminate 1bn pieces of problem plastic from supermarket shelves by 2025 (it is at 762m and counting). How do they plan to achieve this?
By rethinking some core components of the packaging in which products are typically sold as bundle. A clear example is the “lift up”, a cardboard handle used instead of plastic to bundle multipacksof beer or soft drinks.
Tackling the footprint of the Deliver / Fulfil part of your core process is essential as often overlooked. With new bio-based alternative materials being improved upon every day, we have little doubt that companies can find clever ways to switch to new packaging approach for individual & bundle sales .
Additional details on this innovation lab in this article by The Guardian .
3 / Leveraging Nanofreeze technology to keep products cold
Food waste due to cold-chain issues is a clear example of where improvements are needed. And 20th century technologies like regular fridges or Styrofoam require a lot of resources (energy, fossil-fuel among others ) to keep the food frozen until it can be used by the customers.
That’s the issue Isabel Pulido and Diana Paola Camacho Sarmiento – cofounders of NanoFreeze .from Colombia have successfully tackled with a new approach: rethinking the way ice is created.
They have developed a bionanotechnology ice-making alternative using proteins to freeze at a higher temperature and to create a more resilient ice.
Their new process makes it possible to create ice at a temperature of + 2 degrees Celsius, rather than the current -14 to -18 degrees thresholds, which also brings a benefit of reduces energy consumption by 80 per cent.
More information on this revolutionary approach here and on their website.
Sustainability is a complex topic with multiple dimension. We must not fall prey to carbon-myopia. Every company needs to clearly identify every domain where changes can be made to improve the environmental footprint.
CO2 Transparency and Collaboration: The Keys to Sustainable Success.
We are extremely proud of introducing to our readers the next member of The Green Link Ecosystem Alliance: Oxia Initiative, a tech-enabled carbon assessment company. Let’s hear
“At Oxia Initiative, we’re constantly seeking opportunities to accelerate the green transition. An encounter in Montreal led us to Bernard and The Green Link Ecosystem Alliance. Our mutual understanding in the need for Accurate Data to make a change. We both saw the need to move beyond averages and approximations, empowering businesses with customized decarbonization strategies.” – Emmanuelle TAVERNIER & Mahmoud El Nouri .
This alliance opened a door to a remarkable collaboration with Novo Nordisk Canada. Their dedication to circular mindset to reach zero environmental impact is truly inspiring. Their decision to quantify all emissions, including Scope 3, sets a powerful example for the entire industry.
Carboscope: Democratizing Carbon Data
With this vision in mind, we developed Carboscope, a user-friendly SaaS platform offering two key services. First, Carboscope provides an industry and location-agnostic Carbon Footprint report for SMEs+ (up to 3000 employees – Mid-Cap) . We strictly adhere to international frameworks like ISO 14064-1 & GHG Protocol, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
The second service, impact reporting (also known as Avoided Emissions or Scope 4 reports), utilizes the ISO 14064-2 framework to quantify CO2 equivalents per functional unit. This empowers cleantech companies to understand their technology’s environmental edge compared to competitors.
Carboscope is designed with collaboration in mind. One portal caters to aggregators like private equity firms, VCs, consultants, accelerators, and banks. The other empowers SMEs+ to work with us directly or through our trusted partners.
Building a More Sustainable Future, Together
The Green Link ‘s trust played a crucial role in connecting us with Novo Nordisk Canada and quantifying their emissions. This vital step paves the way for their decarbonization plan.
At Oxia Initiative , we believe that partnerships are the most efficient way to achieve our collective sustainability goals. We’re all part of the solution, and it starts with honest measurement. Only by quantifying our emissions can we take action and change our behavior. Together, we can build a more sustainable future, one carbon footprint at a time.
