Austrian Post and FH Upper Austria Research on ‘Green Packaging’

Austrian Post AG is researching sustainable packaging in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. The goal is to minimize unnecessary packaging waste. At the same time, business models for the delivery of fresh and perishable goods are to be developed.

(Vienna) – Whether it’s a wedding dress or vegetables from an organic farmer, a new laptop or a bulky basement shelf – almost everything can now be ordered and delivered online by the people of Austria. However, as diverse as the ordered goods are, so too are the demands of senders and recipients regarding packaging, delivery time, or delivery. As the largest logistics service provider in the country, Austrian Post is well aware of the growing challenges of online trade. To better address these in the future, the Post is cooperating with the excellence network logistics – logistikum.RETAIL – of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria at the Steyr campus and is conducting several research projects. The research focuses on green packaging, solutions for food shipping, or better customer convenience in the delivery process.

Future Topic ‘Green Packaging’

Starting in November, research on green packaging will be conducted as part of logistikum.RETAIL to optimally reduce unnecessary packaging waste in the future. The goal is to develop innovative packaging forms that are sustainable while also meeting the qualitative and price-related demands of senders and recipients. Initially, the current state of research in the area of shipping and packaging will be analyzed, as well as the perspectives of customers and senders. The data obtained will lead to new innovative packaging solutions, which will then be implemented in collaboration with the Steyr campus and a potential additional partner. In a previous collaboration between the Post and Logistikum, a food box was developed that ensures the freshness of goods for up to 48 hours and is now used by the Post for fresh goods shipments.

“As an innovation leader in the field of ‘green logistics’, we are continuously extending our feelers for new, sustainable solutions along our value chain. The topic of ecologically responsible packaging has been a concern for us for some time, as it is in high demand from both senders and recipients. Here, we already have our reusable boxes and sustainable products on the market,” says DI Peter Umundum, Board Member for Parcel & Logistics at Austrian Post. The goal now is to advance and further develop this topic, thus responding even more strongly to customer needs for waste reduction.

Strengthening Online Food Trade and Customer Involvement

Fresh food is hardly purchased online in the Austrian market. The research project “Perishable Food Delivery” investigates the reasons for this. It analyzes the status quo, general trends, and business models in the delivery of fresh and perishable goods in various countries. Based on this, a representative online study will be created to provide insights into customer requirements as well as suitable business models or solution concepts for Austria.

Study for Optimized Delivery Process for Customers

In another project, the strengthening of customer involvement and service levels in delivery is being examined. A secondary analysis has already been conducted to identify interaction and communication potentials in delivery, along with a corresponding market analysis. Building on this, the delivery processes and paths of the Post have been analyzed, and a representative online study for the Austrian recipient market has been conducted. The resulting data will provide insights into the actual needs of recipients and their interaction potentials within the delivery process and serve as a basis for the development of new solution concepts and service models.

“At the center of our joint research activities is currently sustainability. What is special about this is our approach: to offer customers exceptional service. And this through a mix of ecology and efficiency,” says Prof. Franz Staberhofer, head of the logistics program at the FH Upper Austria Campus Steyr and program director of SCM and ILM.

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Image: © Austrian Post AG