Under the title of “Does reusable really deliver added value?” Dr Stefan Hartmann, President of BVDAK (Bundesverband Deutscher Apothekenkooperationen e.V.), presented survey findings from a pharmacist questionnaire at this year’s Pharmalogistics Day. He commissioned the survey on behalf of trans-o-flex in cooperation with Smart Container Loop (SCL), trans-o-flex’s partner for reusable transport containers. There is now an opportunity to refine these findings by enabling pharmacists or pharmaceutical pharmacy personnel to participate in the survey. “Every additional participant lends the findings more weight,” says Lutz Blankenfeldt, Head of Strategy, Commercial and Marketing at trans-o-flex. “It is possible that the results could still change.” Participation is straightforward and it only takes seven minutes to complete the survey. Pharmacists or pharmacy staff can start the survey directly via the following button. “We welcome every additional participant — take this opportunity to make your voice heard on this important issue!”
(in German only)
Dr Hartmann’s initial survey found that 70 per cent of the pharmacies that had participated receive more than ten different packages as direct deliveries from a parcel service each week. For 46 per cent of those surveyed it was even more than 20 packages. It emerged that 43 per cent of the survey respondents already sometimes receive goods in reusable boxes. Almost nine out of ten respondents consider sustainability in packaging to be “important” or “very important” and are “fundamentally willing to receive their deliveries in a reusable box system if it is environmentally beneficial.” When asked about the advantages of a box system, the most frequently cited reasons were less waste (100%), reduced breakage (51%), process-cost optimisation (43%) and easier returns (37%). Image gains and better storage were seen as advantages by 23 per cent of respondents.
Survey participants indicated that less waste was the only actual advantage to be attained from the use of reusable boxes. Among the obstacles to using reusable boxes, returning them (58 per cent) and space requirements (42 per cent) topped the list of reasons. When asked whether they would “accept a small surcharge for a reusable-box system that reduces product damage, disposal effort and CO₂ emissions”, one in ten were generally willing to do so. Forty-two per cent responded with a clear no, and for a further 42 per cent it depended on the specific amount. Thus, half of the respondents signalled a general willingness to pay.
