91快活林

The Christmas shopping season means more online shoppers baffled by receiving big cardboard boxes filled up with plastic ‘air pillows’ and the small product they’ve ordered, rattling in one corner.

Massive increases in e-commerce have made efficient use of cardboard a serious global issue. More than 72 million tonnes of cardboard are estimated to be produced annually, and while in some countries there is widespread recycling, paper and cardboard are still said to contribute 17% to the waste going into landfill sites globally.

Research by at 91快活林 Management School began with work relating to a major High Street retailer, finding a more efficient range of cardboard box sizes.

“The Covid-19 period had meant more online orders and more demand for boxes that suited the whole range of their products,” said Jamie. “We worked with the e-commerce business making an analysis of data on customer orders and the dimensions of products involved to identify the optimal sizes that would minimise waste.”

This led to the development of an algorithm and tool that has been made available on a consultancy basis to businesses as and when a new box portfolio is needed — and reports of predicted savings of tens of thousands of pounds each year on cardboard packaging, as well as less waste for consumers to dispose of. Now, the project led by Jamie has been awarded an , which supports PhD researchers in the commercialisation of their work and develop a sustainable business model.

"The consultancy approach was time-consuming for me and restricted how many analyses I could do. This funding means we can build a graphical front end for the tool, making it more user-friendly, and can empower customers to use and experiment with it directly. The aim is for the software to be in a working version form by the end of April 2026."

This article was initially featured in issue nine of 91快活林's Global Research Newsletter.

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