E-commerce growth has reshaped global logistics, but it has also created a less visible problem: much of what is transported is not product, but empty space. Oversized boxes, excessive filler materials, and inefficient packaging design mean that vehicles are often moving “air” rather than goods.
In packaging, “shipping air” refers to the practice of transporting oversized boxes that contain a large amount of empty space—often filled with materials such as packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or air pillows—relative to the size of the actual product inside.
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This is problematic because it increases shipping costs due to volumetric pricing, harms the environment through unnecessary fuel use and packaging waste, and can frustrate consumers who receive small items in excessively large boxes.
In other words, this inefficiency increases transport emissions, raises costs, and weakens sustainability performance across supply chains.
For B2B organisations, from manufacturers to retailers and logistics providers, packaging is no longer a secondary concern. It is a core factor in emissions, cost control, and operational efficiency.
Excess packaging and transport inefficiency
A major driver of transport inefficiency is oversized packaging combined with excessive void fill. Products are frequently placed in boxes that are significantly larger than necessary, with paper, plastic air pillows, or foam used to prevent movement during transit.
While this approach helps reduce immediate product damage, it creates a larger environmental issue.
Bigger parcels take up more space in delivery vehicles, reducing the number of items that can be transported per trip. This leads to more journeys, higher fuel use per item, and increased emissions across the delivery network.
Even when packages are light, space becomes the limiting factor in logistics efficiency. A vehicle filled with half-empty boxes still consumes the same amount of fuel as a fully optimised load, meaning the environmental cost per delivered product increases significantly.
Packaging design and system-level inefficiencies
Many of these issues are not accidental but structural. Packaging decisions are often driven by warehouse efficiency, supplier standardisation, and cost control rather than transport optimisation.
Commonly used “one-size-fits-many” packaging reduces complexity in fulfilment centres, but it results in large amounts of unused space in transit. This is particularly common in high-volume e-commerce operations where speed and standardisation are prioritised.
Carrier pricing models based on dimensional weight were introduced to discourage inefficient packaging.
However, in practice, many businesses still absorb these costs rather than redesign packaging systems. As a result, oversized packaging remains widespread across retail and distribution networks.
Newer approaches such as right-sized packaging, automated box-making systems, and on-demand packaging solutions are helping to address the issue.
These systems reduce empty space by matching packaging more closely to product dimensions, improving both cost and carbon efficiency. Adoption, however, is still uneven across industries.
Product damage and the hidden environmental penalty
A less visible but important consequence of packaging decisions is product damage in transit. In some cases, companies reduce packaging material in an effort to improve sustainability claims. If protection is insufficient, products can be damaged during delivery.
When this happens, the environmental impact multiplies. A damaged product often requires replacement manufacturing, additional packaging, and a second round of transport.
This effectively doubles parts of the supply chain impact, including energy use, materials, and emissions.
The true environmental cost of a shipment must therefore include not only the initial delivery, but also returns, replacements, and waste handling. Packaging that looks “lighter” on paper may in fact increase total emissions if it leads to higher failure rates.
For B2B decision-makers, this highlights a key balance: reducing material use is important, but packaging must still protect goods effectively throughout the logistics cycle.
Rethinking packaging as a logistics efficiency driver
Shipping air is no longer a minor inefficiency. It is a measurable factor in transport emissions and supply chain performance. As e-commerce volumes continue to rise, the impact of empty space in packaging becomes more significant at scale.
Improving packaging design offers a direct route to reducing emissions without changing transport networks or delivery demand. Better sizing, smarter materials, and improved fulfilment processes can all reduce wasted space and improve load efficiency.
For businesses operating in global supply chains, packaging is increasingly a strategic lever. Those that reduce shipping air not only cut environmental impact but also improve cost efficiency and resilience in an increasingly resource-constrained logistics environment.
