Coupang announced on the 27th that it has established a system to produce cargo pallets by recycling the plastic components of the expired "Rocket Fresh Bag."
The Fresh Bag is Coupang's specialized insulated bag for fresh food, which was first introduced in March 2020. Made from high-strength plastic composite materials, it is used multiple times through various retrieval processes. Coupang delivers approximately 70% of its fresh food orders using the Fresh Bag. Through the introduction of the Fresh Bag, Coupang estimates that it has reduced the use of more than 200 million styrofoam boxes annually.
The Fresh Bag's insulation performance deteriorates with repeated use, typically being discarded after about 100 uses. In response, Coupang has sought ways to fully recycle the Fresh Bag, partnering with NP Corporation, an industrial plastic manufacturer, in the first half of last year to develop a technology to extract plastic from the Fresh Bags. Coupang began recycling the Fresh Bags in July of last year after equipping recycling facilities.
Coupang can extract over 2,300 tons of recycled plastic annually, which is used as raw material to make pallets for export. The company estimates that these activities will produce a carbon dioxide reduction effect of 8,050 tons annually. This amount is equivalent to the carbon dioxide absorption of 880,000 30-year-old pine trees in one year.
A Coupang official noted, "Environmental value is one of several innovation areas that Coupang is focusing on," adding, "The recycling of expired Fresh Bags will serve as an important milestone in the pursuit of sustainable logistics and delivery."