After a few months hiatus, Freight Reverse is back but with a twist. We decided to turn Freight Reverse into a weekly newsletter focused on reverse logistics market news. Let us know what you think.
- Sourcing Journal – A survey conducted by NRF as part of its annual returns report found that offering free returns may be in question for many retailers, two-thirds of whom indicated that they started charging for at least one of the return methods they offer this year. The primary reason for those added consumer costs, they said, has been increased costs to process returns and increased costs for carrier shipping.
More on NRF’s Returns report:
RetailWire - Retail Returns Add Up to an $890B Problem in 2024: Can Consumer Behaviors Be Altered?
Hardware Retailing - 3 Ways Returns Are Impacting Retailers
- PYMNTS - Returns company Loop acquired customer experience platform Wonderment. According to the announcement, the deal will give merchants access to real-time shipment insights, predictive carrier analytics, and streamlined returns processes.
- The Next Web - UK and Luxembourg-based startup Uplift360 has received €1mn in pre-seed funding to scale up a greener method for recycling advanced materials like Kevlar. Uplift360’s patent-pending process breaks down Kevlar and other composites without compromising the integrity of the fibers and resins. These raw materials can then be reused to make new products. It does this using safe chemicals and at room temperature — making it greener and more energy-efficient than traditional methods according to the startup.?
- Packaging Dive - The U.S. recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans has declined in recent years, the Aluminum Association and Can Manufacturers Institute reported. According to the group, the 2023 rate was 43%, a decline from an average around 52% since tracking began in 1990 — making it the lowest point in decades and worse off than peer countries, the organizations said. On average, each person in the U.S. threw away 15 12-packs of cans — $1.2 billion worth of aluminum.
- American Recycler - The BMW Group is building a Cell Recycling Competence Center (CRCC) for battery cells where it will implement a process referred to as “direct recycling”. This procedure enables residual materials from battery cell production, as well as whole battery cells, to be mechanically dismantled into their valuable components. The recovered raw materials are then directly reused in pilot production of battery cells at the company’s own Battery Cell Competence Centers.
- Chattanooga Free Press - Ascend Elements will start to market lithium carbonate, a key component in EV batteries, that it has been able to recycle and refine at its Covington, Georgia facility. The company said it marks the first time a U.S. company has been able to produce the compound on American soil without mining it from the earth, a key part of onshoring the EV battery supply chain.
- RFID Journal - Trimco Group has designed a solution that leverages technology such as embedded RFID for textile soft labels. With RFID built into garments, the lifespan of each item can be traced from the factory to disposal. The company has also launched a partnership with Kezzler to offer an end-to-end label and traceability solution. The partnership will enable a solution that connects data to both brands and consumers, ultimately aiming to provide the EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) compliance and boost sustainability.
- Fashion Network - Hugo Boss has set up an independent company called 'Eightyards', whose mission is to recycle and re-se Hugo Boss's excess production materials. Eightyards will officially begin operating in January 2025
- Amazon - Amazon has stopped packing products in single-use plastic delivery bags and envelopes in its Australian distribution network. This includes items sold by Amazon Australia and third-party selling partners that use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA).
RLA's latest Reverse Logistics Magazine is out. Be sure to check out the following articles:
That’s it for now. Be sure to hit subscribe to ensure you receive it in your inbox. The next newsletter goes out on Dec 23. Do you have news to share? Email me at [email protected].
