The path to a green future: Coloyal’s sustainable premium logistics

What is sustainable logistics? A brief definition:

Sustainable logistics encompasses all measures to reduce the ecological, social and economic impact of logistics activities on the environment. It involves a holistic view and optimisation of the logistics process from procurement through production to distribution.

To this end, it is important to consider the 3 pillars of sustainability:

1. The ecological pillar aims to minimise environmentally harmful emissions as well as energy and resource consumption. In short, the protection of ecosystems.
2. The social pillar relates to safeguarding the working conditions, health and safety of employees. This includes compliance with human rights and social standards.
3. The economic pillar refers to the creation of added value and increasing competitiveness. This means reducing costs through efficient processes and innovative technologies.

What concepts of sustainable logistics are there?

There are various concepts that can contribute to the practical feasibility of sustainable logistics. Some of these concepts are

1. Green Logistics: This involves the optimisation of transport routes, the use of environmentally friendly means of transport and the minimisation of emissions.
2. Reverse logistics: This concept refers to the return of goods and materials from the end consumer to the manufacturer. This allows resources to be reused and waste to be reduced.
3. Lean logistics: By applying lean principles and avoiding overproduction, resource consumption can be reduced. This counteracts the waste of materials and excessive energy consumption. The lean philosophy aims to fulfil customer requirements quickly, effectively and without errors by eliminating unnecessary steps and processes.
4. Circular logistics: This involves creating a closed material and product cycle. Raw materials and components are recycled and waste is avoided by reintroducing them into the overall cycle.

Why sustainable packaging?

Sustainable packaging is important to reduce the environmental impact of packaging waste. A lot of packaging is still made from non-recyclable materials and disposed of after a single use. This waste is a burden on the environment. At the same time, it also contributes to the pollution of oceans and landscapes.
By using sustainable packaging such as recycled paper, biodegradable materials or reusable containers, natural resources can be conserved. In addition, the use of sustainable packaging can also save costs, as much of this packaging can be reused for longer. Companies therefore realise savings in the procurement and disposal of packaging.

Another advantage of sustainable packaging is the positive perception (image) of a company. Consumers are increasingly looking to buy products from companies that are committed to environmental protection and sustainability. By using sustainable packaging, companies can demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection. And, not least, differentiate themselves from the competition.

Coloyal uses a high-quality and environmentally friendly material for the shipping cartons for its premium shipping. This material consists of a mixture of virgin fibre and recycled fibre, giving it an optimum balance between strength and environmental compatibility. Virgin fibre paper is made from freshly cut wood fibres and recycled fibre refers to fibres obtained from waste paper.

Sustainable logistics: that’s what we pay attention to at Coloyal!

One of Coloyal’s specialities is the development of sustainable solutions in rewards logistics. The use of environmentally friendly packaging and the development of take-back systems for rewards provide initial pointers. The reduction of CO₂ emissions also plays an important role in our rewards logistics. ‘Green commerce’ has found its way into Coloyal. And we attach particular importance to this:

• Procuring climate-neutral energy for the logistics centre’s site management.
• Designing processes that are as digital and IT-supported as possible.
• Avoiding packaging, filling and transport protection materials, especially plastic.
• Commissioning of CO₂-neutral transport options wherever possible.
• Continuous optimisation of processes, particularly in the context of digitalisation.
• Continuous optimisation or substitution of input materials with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
• Operation of a sustainability management system including regular external audits.
• Certification in accordance with ‘ÖKOPROFIT’.

Presentation of the ‘on-demand packaging machine’ for premium shipping

The on-demand packaging machine is an innovative technology that enables sustainable packaging and shipping optimisation. It produces the ideal shipping carton and uses a customised shipping carton for each individual order. This saves a significant amount of parcel volume compared to standard cardboard boxes.

A particular advantage is the low level of waste caused by the premium dispatch to the end customer. The minimised use of cardboard packaging and the reduced use of corrugated cardboard lead to a significant reduction in packaging waste. In addition, transport damage caused by air in the box and slippage of the goods is avoided.

Saving on filling material also helps to conserve resources. The use of adhesive tape is minimised. The use of universal adhesive tape instead of customised embossed adhesive tape makes it more environmentally friendly. Finishing and customised printing of the shipping carton for each parcel, e.g. with a legally required disposal mark, round off the on-demand packaging machine’s range of services. In this way, the goal of sustainable logistics is consistently achieved in the long term.

‘On-demand packaging machine’ – process sequence

The innovative on-demand packaging machine enables a fully automated process for the production of packaging and shipping labels in real time. Particular emphasis is placed on sustainability, which is reflected in the entire process flow. We give you exclusive insights:

1. Item master data capture as part of the goods receiving process with CubiScan
2. Determining the quantities and sizes of continuous corrugated cardboard for the shipping cartons
3. Production of the cartons: punching, aligning, bottom gluing
4. Optimised picking of goods using MDE devices
5. Clear, unmistakable data allocation between shipping carton (order) and goods (article) to minimise errors
6. Forwarding of the goods to be dispatched to the conveyor system
7. Automated sealing of parcels with adhesive tape, including automated labelling
8. Creation of an optimised total freight load
9. Loading of the parcels onto the shipping service provider’s vehicles and delivery of the goods

Conclusion

Sustainable logistics refers to all measures that help to reduce the impact of logistics activities on the environment. Ecological, social and economic aspects are taken into account and the entire logistics process from procurement to production and distribution is considered. At Coloyal, we implement innovative solutions in premium logistics to realise sustainable standards. If you would like to find out more about sustainability in rewards logistics, please contact us. We would be happy to show you how you too can implement sustainability in your rewards programme.