by Reusability, on March 29, 2022
Green spaces are becoming increasingly important from suburban communities to cities.
The Lawn & Landscape 2021 State of the Industry Report states that the global lawn mower market has expected growth of 4% from 2019 to 2025. This is excellent news for lawn mower manufacturers everywhere, but companies need to make the most of market growth to maximize their profits. This is especially important due to recent challenges that have faced the lawn mower industry, such as supply chain issues:
“79% of mower companies said they turned a profit, while 87% said the same last year,” the industry report states.
There is environmental and financial opportunity in changing the materials mowing companies use to package and ship their often industrial-sized products.
Read more to find out how lawn mower companies can utilize a circular supply chain to reduce overhead costs, improve the experience of both retailers and consumers, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Current Challenges in the Lawn Mower Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many people back outside and onto the golf course. In 2020, the US experienced the largest net increase of golfers in 17 years, with 24.8 million people playing the sport. That’s a lot of grass to mow.
This increase was great for the golf industry’s profit and kept the need for industrial-sized mowers booming. However, along with the increase in outdoor activities during the pandemic came major labor shortages and supply chain issues in the mower industry. This brought about product delays and increased overhead costs for mower manufacturers who already pay hefty fees to ship their large products in large packages.
Not only does it cost a lot to ship lawn mowers to retailers, but other aspects of the supply chain affect the overall productivity of the company, including:
- The type of packaging
- Disposing process of the packaging
- Safety issues that arise with lawn mower packaging
What You Thought You Knew About Disposable Packaging
Industries of all types, including lawn mower companies, have relied on linear supply chains for decades by purchasing single-use packaging every time they ship a product. Buying materials such as wooden crates and pallets, cardboard, and bubble wrap quickly adds to overhead costs.
Disposing of these materials can also be costly, time-consuming, and even a safety hazard for the employees disassembling the packages, especially if electric tools are required. Contrary to popular opinions, using reusable plastic packaging for shipping is much more efficient and eco-friendly than using wooden pallets.
Reusable Packaging Alternatives: Plastic and Steel
The average lifespan of a wooden pallet is three to five years, whereas the lifespan for plastic pallets is greater than ten years on average. Also, for products the size of lawn mowers, the number of materials to break down takes time that could be better spent elsewhere in the supply chain process, like getting lawn mowers to consumers faster.
Steel is a top option for companies who want to reduce their carbon footprint in their supply chains, since it is 100% recyclable. Durable, recycled steel packaging for large, heavy products such as lawn mowers can eliminate other supply chain issues, such as product damage during transportation and employee safety risks from disposing of other materials.
Consumer Interest in Circular Supply Chains
As the industry heads in a greener direction, it is in lawn mower companies’ best interest to implement sustainable packaging solutions to better align with the change. More and more consumers are looking to buy eco-friendly products. A survey by Accenture states:
- 72% of respondents said they currently buy more environmentally-friendly products than they did five years ago.
- 81% of respondents expect to buy more sustainably over the next five years.
This can cause a challenge for lawn mower companies, as gas-powered lawn mowers emit high levels of carbon dioxide into the air. One gas-powered lawnmower emits 89 pounds of CO2 and 34 pounds of other pollutants every year.
Because of this alarming statistic and others, California legislators have officially banned the selling of gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers, fully effective beginning in 2024.
Circular Supply Chain Benefit: Returnable Transit Packaging
Some lawn mower companies have already begun transitioning to a sustainable supply chain.
Battery-powered mowers with zero emissions already take up 15% of all lawn mower sales.
The way to take the transition to “green” one step further? Implement returnable transit packaging into your circular supply chain. Returnable transit packaging allows for goods like lawn mowers to be transported between consumers and retailers multiple times instead of just once, improving the overall productivity, costs, and carbon footprint of packaging materials.
Returnable Packaging in the Industry: John Deere
John Deere is a leader in understanding and implementing reusable shipping packaging processes to realize greater financial benefits and stay true to their company sustainability values. The company has relied on a system of tracking and reusing its returnable containers for years, which has resulted in impressive financial savings on disposal and transportation aspects.
How to Implement Sustainable Packaging Solutions
Reusability has proven to transform lawn mower companies’ supply chains for positive returns and a lower carbon footprint. Our team takes the problems out of your hands so that your company, your retailers, and your consumers reap the benefits.
Reusability’s Reusable Packaging Program Process
Here’s the brief step-by-step process Reusability uses to implement sustainable packaging processes into a company’s supply chain:
Packaging Development:
Reusability’s design partners create options and prototypes for an individualized returnable packaging solution.
Shipment:
Customers ship products in reusable packaging to consumers and inform Reusability where they ship.
Status Confirmation:
Reusability uses proprietary software to confirm empty packaging is ready for pick-up.
Recovery:
Reusability agents recover packaging and return it to regional facilities.
Repackaging and Quality Control:
Reusability consolidates and repairs shipment materials for reuse.
Return:
Return packaging to customers to be used again!
