Case Study: New Zealand Post reduces courier bag carbon footprint with thinkstep-anz LCA

LCA of New Zealand Post courier bags

thinkstep-anz worked with New Zealand Post to identify a more environmentally friendly replacement for its A5 courier bags made from virgin LDPE. The company needed to compare several single-use packaging options that were equivalent in size and function to understand which choice would best reduce environmental impact.

Through a life cycle assessment in 2020, thinkstep-anz evaluated five alternatives across cradle-to-grave impacts, including landfill, recycling, and composting scenarios. The study found that locally manufactured LDPE bags with 80% recycled content had the lowest carbon footprint and the best overall environmental performance, with less than half the emissions of New Zealand Post’s original virgin LDPE bag and the best results in 11 of 14 indicators.

New Zealand Post