Up to now, cardboard boxes have mainly been used in shipping, which end up in waste paper after a single use and are recycled. This means that cardboard boxes have a very short lifespan, which increases the recycling rate and leads to unnecessary energy consumption.
It is not without reason that the principle of ‘reuse’ is placed above the principle of ‘recycle’ in the waste hierarchy. The recycling process costs energy and also leads to irreversible degradation of the recycled material. This means that each new recycling process creates a product of lower quality and, conversely, that paper fibres can only undergo a limited number of recycling processes before they are unusable. The reuse of products is therefore more resource-efficient than recycling and is therefore also prioritised at a political level.
The core idea of the project is a reusable shipping carton in the spirit of the circular economy. The innovative ‘Monozip’ connecting element makes the use of adhesive tape unnecessary in the future and enables the carton to be opened, (re)sealed and folded in seconds. Even in this state, it is extremely robust and can be stored and transported efficiently. No new production processes or technologies are required for the manufacturing of Monozip boxes, meaning that the transition from disposable to reusable packaging in the mail order business can be realised cost-effectively, quickly and in a way that preserves resources.
The package is closed
The seal is opened by pulling up the tab
The mono is pulled out by the tab
The package can now be opened easily
When integrating the Monozip into an existing shipping package, we paid attention to other aspects:
Technical Facts
For shipping and return transport
