BringMeBag: Towards Reusable Packaging for Parcel Delivery

BringMeBag is a Belgian pilot project testing the use of reusable packaging for the delivery of e-commerce parcels. The aim is clear: to make reuse a credible, practical and accessible option for businesses and consumers alike. 

While the reuse of packaging is widely recognised for its environmental benefits, it is still difficult to implement in e-commerce. Cost, ease of use, returns management and hygiene guarantees remain major obstacles. BringMeBag has been set up to provide a practical, comprehensive response.

The project is based on three key drivers: standardisation, traceability and integration into existing infrastructures. A single packaging format, shared among several retailers, reduces costs. Digital traceability ensures efficient management of returns and rotations, while the use of existing logistics networks (including post boxes) facilitates the return of packaging without creating new circuits. 

A collective, forward-looking approach 

BringMeBag is based on a partnership between players in the fields of commerce, logistics, research and technology: bpost, Torfs, Juttu, VIL, the University of Antwerp (REuseLab), Twintag and Fost Plus. Thanks to this collective effort the system can be tested under real conditions and its performance can be measured, particularly in terms of return rates and the speed of returns, costs and user experience.

Within this framework, Fost Plus shares its expertise in building high-performing business models that are viable at scale. Fost Plus also seeks to understand consumer behaviour in order to address potential barriers and to develop communication that encourages lasting behaviour change around reusable packaging systems.

For Fost Plus, the BringMeBag project is part of a long-term vision of sustainable packaging management as a complement to recycling. 

As the entry into force of the European regulation on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) approaches, BringMeBag is a key testing ground for moving from pilot projects to large-scale reuse systems.