Flipkart to collect plastic packaging from doorstep

November 19, 2019: Flipkart recently announced a pilot scheme to take back the plastic packaging from consumers at selected hubs in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dehradun, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, and Ahmedabad.

This intends to build awareness among customers about the disposition of plastic packaging and make them active participants in achieving sustainability. The project wants to ensure existing plastic packaging to be recycled and reused. Under the project, Flipkart will send out a notice to consumers urging them to voluntarily hand over plastic packaging to trained Flipkart Wishmasters for its proper disposal, at the time of product delivery.

The packets will be sent to registered vendors to ensure it is disposed to avoid ending up in landfills. 

“We have taken bold steps towards reducing single-use plastic in the system by replacing it with various eco-friendly alternatives and are constantly innovating with our approaches. The recently initiated pilot program ensures that our biggest stakeholder - consumers, is one of the key enablers of this initiative and will help drive awareness,” said Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, Flipkart Group.

“We are proud to be the first-ever e-commerce marketplace to channelize plastic packaging back into the system through door-to-door collection with the help of our wishmasters. We believe a collective approach of all stakeholders would help us in achieving the dream of a Swachh and Samridha Bharat, and the country's vision to phase out single-use plastic,” he added.

Proud of our efforts to preserve our environment as our @Flipkart Wishmasters lead the project to collect plastic packaging in a door-to-door campaign. We're committed to help making @swachhbharat a reality @PMOIndia @PiyushGoyal #NayeIndiaKeSaath pic.twitter.com/tI4y7fO7we

— Kalyan Krishnamurthy (@_Kalyan_K) November 15, 2019

This program is in continuation of Flipkart’s sustainability agenda under which it has already reduced the utilization of single-use plastic by 33% and aims to move towards 100% recycled plastic consumption in its supply chain by March 2021. Towards this goal, Flipkart has filed for EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and is targeting 30% collection back in the first year. The company is also committed to maximizing recycled content in single-use plastic to boost the recycling ecosystem and reduce virgin plastic consumption.

Flipkart is working on initiatives including the introduction of eco-friendly paper shreds, replacing poly pouches with recycled paper bags, replacing bubble wraps and airbags with carton waste shredded material, and 2-ply roll. 

Earlier this year, the company announced the introduction of electric vehicles in its last-mile delivery network with the aim to replace nearly 40% of its existing last-mile fleet of delivery vans with EVs by March 2020. By leveraging technology in its workflow at fulfilment centres, Flipkart optimizes the type and volume of packaging to be used, instead of leaving it to the human decision and was also recently certified ISO 14001 for its strategic facilities.