Global home furnishings retailer Wayfair has invested within its UK and EU fulfillment sites with new machinery.

Detailed within its recent Corporate Responsibility Report, Wayfair reaffirmed its commitment to environmental impacts, particularly in packaging and waste reduction.

During 2021, Wayfair implemented new machinery that adds protective corners to existing transit cartons across its UK and EU fulfillment locations.

This solution has reduced in-transit damage rates and contributed to a 39% reduction in wooden pallet utilisation.

It also reduced plastic usage by more than 2,200 pounds a month, as the new machinery removes the need for added foam corners in transit cartons.

For small-parcel items, Wayfair has replaced plastic poly bags with ‘easy-to-reseal’ paper bags in both the UK and Germany.

“This reduces non-recyclable waste while improving the customer experience in the event the item is returned,” Wayfair said. “Altogether, replacing poly bags in the UK and EU has resulted in a plastic reduction of more than 13,000 pounds in the past year.

“In 2021, our Packaging Engineering teams collaborated with suppliers to improve packaging for about 620 popular items in North America, the EU, and the UK, avoiding damage during delivery for more than 100,000 units sold.

Furthermore, Wayfair added it has focused on waste mitigation efforts to reduce product damage and return rates.

“Our field research has continually shown that strong, protective packaging is key to reducing shipping damage, which ultimately leads to waste. So, we’re actively working to make our packaging more effective and sustainable.

“This includes only partnering with corrugated box suppliers that are certified for responsible sourcing. We’re also looking to minimise unnecessary materials used during the packing process, increasing the amount of readily recyclable materials in our packaging, and continuously investing in our packaging innovation research.”

Read Wayfair’s full Corporate Responsibility Report here.