We’ve been providing e-commerce fulfilment and direct mailing services for almost 30 years, and environmental sustainability is an area we know matters to our customers and their customers. After COP26, which took place in our home city of Glasgow last year, we’ve been reflecting on how we can do more, as a business, to drive more sustainable e-commerce fulfilment practices.
SME’s like Commands make up 99% of all UK businesses (and 90% of global companies). But they are also responsible for 35% of UK carbon emissions. That underlines just how important it is for businesses like ours to do our bit to meet the net zero carbon target.
Our Responsibility
Commands is one of the few UK e-commerce fulfilment businesses that has achieved organic certification and are ISO14001 accredited. These are cornerstones of our intention to create a more sustainable business. As a family-owned and run business, we are conscious of the impact our actions will have on future generations. It is our responsibility to minimise our environmental impact and help our customers achieve their environmental objectives. You can find out more about our quality accreditations and organic certification here.
Packaging First
One of the critical areas we have been looking at more recently is packaging. E-commerce packaging needs to work on many levels. It must protect, be lightweight and robust, while allowing brands to implement their marketing strategies. Packaging is also an important part of what makes a retailer sustainable in the eyes of the consumer who receives their online order.
We have worked with creative suppliers to source sustainable packaging options suitable for almost any sector, from food and drink to clothing or homeware.
Our packing eco-chips are made from potato starch (they dissolve fully in water and are 100% biodegradable and compostable). Our recycled cardboard pulp (or moulded pulp) is light and strong – perfect for protecting fragile items such as glass bottles. We also have 100% recycled mailing bags and envelopes. We use recycled cardboard filler wherever possible, and we are always looking for new, innovative, environmentally sustainable packaging solutions.
Supporting our Customers
As a supply chain partner of many businesses, the role we play in the greening of their business practices is key. So when we seek out new partners and clients, we look to build partnerships that are both business and planet-friendly.
A good example is Collins Debden, the UK’s leading diary and stationery supplier. We began working with them in 2021 and have already transitioned their packaging from almost exclusively mailing bags to more eco-friendly card envelopes made from recycled materials.
Richard Sloan, Marketing Manager at Collins Debden, explained why it mattered to him:
“We have a responsibility to make sure we are always using materials from sustainable sources, whether it be our products themselves or the packaging that they are sent to our customers in. This is where Commands comes in. With Commands, we are working hard to find packaging which is both eco-friendly but is also cost-effective and provides adequate protection for our products in transit. They understand the importance of getting this balance right, both for our own business but also looking at the wider environmental picture.”
Nc’nean distillery is another remarkable, sustainable SME. Nc’nean is an independent organic whisky distillery based on the Morvern peninsula on the west coast of Scotland. Their entirely sustainable offering has allowed Nc’nean to reduce carbon emissions across their supply chain and create whisky in a sustainable way from grain to glass. Ensuring that Nc’nean can meet their net-zero targets. Sasha Holt, Head of Marketing at Nc’nean, commented, “Partnering with Commands has helped us … notably with their 100% recycled eco-safe packs, which our products are posted in when they go out to consumers.”
Our Commitment
Like Nc’nean, Collins Debden and many other customers, we know we still have a lot to do to deliver a more sustainable e-commerce fulfilment service for our customers. But it’s important to us to step up and make it happen. So, we have signed up to the SME Climate Hub and made our commitment to halve our carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve Net Zero by 2050. We will keep you updated with our first progress.
Get in touch or call on +141 944 3900 if you’d like to know more about how we work and how we can help your business fulfill your orders efficiently and more sustainably.
Maureen.
info@commands.co.uk