Waste Reduction in E-commerce: Introducing Mercari Eco Pack

On 5th June 2019, Mercari introduced the Mercari Eco Pack, a reusable packaging to encourage waste reduction.

Mercari is an online shopping marketplace app founded in 2013. It started from an overseas trip around multiple emerging countries where, CEO, Yamada Shintaro, realized the scarcity of the earth’s resources. His return to Japan coincided with the worldwide popularization of smartphones, which turned out to be the Eureka moment. Yamada recognized the potential of using smartphones for a wiser utilization of earth’s existing resources, thus leading to the invention of Mercari.

However, as the app grew and flourished with over 1 billion listed products in the electronic commerce marketplace, there was also a concurrent rise in the consumption of packaging materials. This revelation urged Mercari to come up with a solution, which led to the development of the reusable packaging, Mercari Eco Pack.

The Mercari Eco Pack is a 193mm by 312mm reusable packaging made of tarpaulin, a material often used to make tents. It has a secure fastener and is also waterproof.

According to an online survey done by Mercari in May 2019, over 80 percent of electronic commerce users have indicated that they felt packaging materials are wasteful.

The survey also reflected that 90 percent of Mercari users had an overall pleasant experience with receiving their products in reused packaging materials. These numbers indicate an existing eco-friendly mindset among the community of Mercari users. In fact, the survey also revealed that users with a high frequency app use are environmentally conscious.

For a trial, the Mercari Eco Pack will begin with 5,000 units and will develop further based on the feedback of users. In the future, Mercari plans to produce other reusable packaging materials such as cardboard boxes, working towards cultivating a sustainable shopping culture.