Delivering a more sustainable distribution service is important for our customers, and packaging is a critical part of that ambition. This includes reducing overall packaging tonnage, increasing recycled content and prioritising sustainable materials. So far, 90% of our packaging is made with >50% recycled content (our goal is to get to 100% by 2030), but there are many other ways we are making a difference, including reducing overall packaging content, removing and reducing plastic, and innovating to use new alternative materials.
Here are just some of the latest successes in our wider Plastic Out drive to replace plastic packaging with alternative materials:
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Bio-based polymer in electronic carriers (Corby): In partnership with Chestnut Biopolymers Ltd, we’ve seen a breakthrough in sustainable packaging: a bio-based polymer now used in full-scale production. Since June 2025, over 300,000 biopolymer units have been deployed at our Corby site, replacing 80% of the conventional polypropylene – the first time a bio-based carrier has been implemented at scale in RS. This material, created by fermenting sugars and blending under patented technology, delivers the strength needed for small electronic items while eliminating microplastic waste and reducing single-use plastic, reinforcing RS’s commitment to sustainability.
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Paper sealing tape (Bad Hersfeld and Beauvais): Working with tesa, one of RS’s trusted product supplier partners and a global leader in sustainable tape, we introduced a fully recyclable paper tape on packaging shipped from our Bad Hersfeld and Beauvais DCs. This partnership was pivotal in helping us to eliminate plastic while ensuring strong adhesion, operational efficiency, and recyclability so customers can recycle boxes without removing tape. This solution is a meaningful step towards circularity – showing what is possible when operational excellence meets environmental responsibilities.
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Plastic infill removal (UK): Following a successful trial at Corby and Nuneaton in August 2025, a paper-based air pillow infill has been rolled out across all applicable packing areas within the UK. This innovation by the Group packaging team replaces traditional plastic infills, removing approximately 15 tonnes of plastic to deliver a consistent, high-quality solution that meets our customers' requirements for packaging integrity and safe and secure delivery. With 50% recycled content and FSC certification, the paper infill supports our 2030 ESG action plan ambition to make our packaging more sustainable while prioritising an efficient and reliable distribution service.
Thanks to cross-functional collaboration and a shared dedication to ESG, these projects demonstrate the value of sustainable innovation in industrial and electronics distribution. And there are still further opportunities for progress, including collaborating with our electronics supply chain and the wider industry to accelerate the shift to alternative packaging materials.
By championing alternative materials and leveraging the expertise of our partners, we’ve reduced waste, improved recyclability, and taken a meaningful step toward circularity – illustrating the powerful impact when collaboration and operational excellence meets environmental responsibility.