IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/circec/v3y2023i3d10.1007_s43615-022-00231-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Product Packaging by E-commerce Platforms: Impact of COVID-19 and Proposal for Circular Model to Reduce the Demand of Virgin Packaging

Author

Listed:
  • Tanya Arora

    (Delhi Technological University)

  • Sarvani Reddy Chirla

    (Delhi Technological University)

  • Nimisha Singla

    (Delhi Technological University)

  • Lovleen Gupta

    (Delhi Technological University)

Abstract

E-commerce packaging waste is a matter of concern, especially with the increasing popularity of online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This leads to the generation of a massive amount of e-commerce packaging waste as well as resource utilisation and CO2 emissions that go into the production of packaging. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on consumer trends in the e-commerce industry, quantitatively analyse the carbon emissions of packaging used, and present a circular model to reduce the demand for virgin packaging. Using a convenience sampling method, an online questionnaire was administered to 285 respondents to gather data on changes in shopping practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer awareness levels and observations on packaging materials, and practices employed by e-commerce companies. It was found that the number of orders placed per month increased after the onset of the pandemic and that most households dispose of packaging with household wastes as opposed to reusing or recycling. Primary data (study participants packaging waste production) in combination with secondary data (emission factors) was further used to calculate emissions due to mixed packaging waste, which came out to be 2,705.94 kg CO2e per metric tonne of waste produced. In addition, the paper presents a practical solution to reducing virgin packaging material production, as well as modifications in packaging used to ensure efficient working of the packaging reuse model when implemented by the e-commerce companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Tanya Arora & Sarvani Reddy Chirla & Nimisha Singla & Lovleen Gupta, 2023. "Product Packaging by E-commerce Platforms: Impact of COVID-19 and Proposal for Circular Model to Reduce the Demand of Virgin Packaging," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1255-1273, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:3:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s43615-022-00231-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s43615-022-00231-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43615-022-00231-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43615-022-00231-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Datt,Gaurav & Ravallion,Martin & Murgai,Rinku, 2016. "Growth, urbanization, and poverty reduction in India," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7568, The World Bank.
    2. Tao Gao & Qing Liu & Jianping Wang, 2014. "A comparative study of carbon footprint and assessment standards," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 237-243.
    3. Guojie Xie & Lijuan Huang & Chrysostomos Apostolidis & Zuqing Huang & Weiwei Cai & Guokai Li, 2021. "Assessing Consumer Preference for Overpackaging Solutions in E-Commerce," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-21, July.
    4. Rumana Hossain & Md Tasbirul Islam & Riya Shanker & Debishree Khan & Katherine Elizabeth Sarah Locock & Anirban Ghose & Heinz Schandl & Rita Dhodapkar & Veena Sahajwalla, 2022. "Plastic Waste Management in India: Challenges, Opportunities, and Roadmap for Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-34, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Manoj Panda & Abhishek Kumar & William Joe, 2024. "Growth Matters? Revisiting the Enigma of Child Undernutrition in India," India Studies in Business and Economics, in: Probal Pratap Ghosh & Rajbans Talwar & Sureshbabu Syamasundar Velagapudi (ed.), Practical Economic Analysis and Computation, pages 285-307, Springer.
    2. Sisi Wu & Xuan Gong & Yunfei Wang & Jian Cao, 2022. "Consumer Cognition and Management Perspective on Express Packaging Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-23, April.
    3. Shantanu Khanna & Deepti Goel & René Morissette, 2016. "Decomposition analysis of earnings inequality in rural India: 2004–2012," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Gemechu Abdissa & Abebe Ayalew & Anna Dunay & Csaba Bálint Illés, 2022. "Role of Reverse Logistics Activities in the Recycling of Used Plastic Bottled Water Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Sinha Roy, Sutirtha & van der Weide, Roy, 2025. "Estimating poverty for India after 2011 using private-sector survey data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    6. Ahmed, M. & Gautam, M. & Sen, B., 2018. "Waves of Change: Understanding Ascent, Descent and Persistence of Poverty in Rural Bangladesh," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277340, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. M. Niaz Asadullah & Antonio Savoia & Kunal Sen, 2020. "Will South Asia Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030? Learning from the MDGs Experience," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 165-189, November.
    8. Anand Sahasranaman & Nishanth Kumar & Luis M. A. Bettencourt, 2024. "Urbanization, economic development, and income distribution dynamics in India," Papers 2410.04737, arXiv.org.
    9. S. Mahendra Dev, 2018. "Transformation of Indian Agriculture? Growth, Inclusiveness and Sustainability," Working Papers id:12955, eSocialSciences.
    10. Martin Rama, 2019. "Challenges in Measuring Poverty and Understanding its Dynamics: A South Asian Perspective," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 65(S1), pages 2-32, November.
    11. S. Mahendra Dev, 2018. "Tranformation of Indian agriculture: Growth, iclusiveness and sustainability," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2018-026, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    12. Birthal, Pratap S. & Hazrana, Jaweriah & Negi, Digvijay S., 2020. "Diversification in Indian agriculture towards high value crops: Multilevel determinants and policy implications," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Aiyar, Anaka & Rahman, Andaleeb & Pingali, Prabhu, 2021. "India’s rural transformation and rising obesity burden," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. Utpal Kumar De & Loitongbam Hena Devi, 2023. "Inequality Dynamics in Urban Manipur, India: A Decomposition Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 67-89, June.
    15. Benfica, R. & Henderson, H., 2018. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 23 - The effect of the sectoral composition of economic growth on rural and urban poverty," IFAD Research Series 280072, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    16. Ananthi Rajayya & Rajiv Nair & Viswanathan Pozhamkandath Karthiayani, 2025. "India’s Transition to a Circular Economy Towards Fulfilling Agenda 2030: A Critical Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-25, March.
    17. Fengsong Pei & Rui Zhong & Li-An Liu & Yingjuan Qiao, 2021. "Decoupling the Relationships between Carbon Footprint and Economic Growth within an Urban Agglomeration—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, September.
    18. Hoyong Kim & Donghyun Kim, 2022. "Changes in Urban Growth Patterns in Busan Metropolitan City, Korea: Population and Urbanized Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, August.
    19. Lukasz Skowron & Monika Sak-Skowron, 2021. "Environmental Sensitivity and Awareness as Differentiating Factors in the Purchase Decision-Making Process in the Smartphone Industry—Case of Polish Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, January.
    20. Allen H. Hu & Chia-Hsiang Chen & Lance Hongwei Huang & Ming-Hsiu Chung & Yi-Chen Lan & Zhonghua Chen, 2019. "Environmental Impact and Carbon Footprint Assessment of Taiwanese Agricultural Products: A Case Study on Taiwanese Dongshan Tea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:3:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s43615-022-00231-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.