Movopack secures funding to launch circular e-commerce packaging in the UK

Movopack, the Italian-based company providing e-commerce platforms with circular and sustainable packaging, has raised a 2-million-pound seed funding round to support its official launch in the UK.

The funding round was led by early-stage investor 360 Capital, with participation from Greiner Innoventures and Techstars, and will be used to “turbocharge” Movopack’s first expansion outside of Italy to help tackle a growing packaging waste crisis, where an estimated 1.7 billion pieces of plastic are discarded weekly.

As the EU introduces legislation that will require 10 percent of e-commerce packaging to be reusable by 2030, rising to 50 percent by 2040, Movopack offers e-commerce retailers cost-effective, returnable and customisable packaging solutions to help them meet these targets affordably.

In the UK, Movopack will be leveraging the Royal Mail postal network to allow consumers to easily return packaging via any of its 115,000 postboxes across the country. The Italian firm said that Royal Mail is the best partner for the launch as its infrastructure “ensures a seamless returns process,” and is convenient for customers.

Movopack raises 2 million pounds in funding led by 360 Capital

The Milan-headquartered company was co-founded by high school friends Tomaso Torriani (chief executive), Alberto Cisco (chief commercial officer), and Andrea Cipollone (chief operating officer), who recognised the environmental oversight of single-use e-commerce packaging and the lack of affordable and practical sustainable alternatives.

Movopack’s packaging is made from recycled plastic bottles (rPET) and woven recycled polypropylene (PP) and is designed to endure postal handling and can be reused by retailers up to 20 times. Compared to standard e-commerce packaging, which typically uses single-use cardboard with 70 percent recycled content, each Movopack package, when reused 20 times, delivers significant environmental benefits.

The company states that its robust, sustainable alternative to single-use packaging reduces CO₂ emissions by 84 percent, energy consumption by 80 percent, and water consumption by 76 percent, according to a Life Cycle Assessment conducted by Life Cycle Engineering.

Movopack already works with more than 100 brands worldwide, including OTB Group, owners of Diesel, Marni, Maison Margiela, and Jill Sander.

Movopack to leverage Royal Mail network to launch in the UK

Tomaso Torriani, chief executive and co-founder of Movopack said in a statement: “This funding round demonstrates the growing enthusiasm for Movopack's potential to transform the e-commerce industry with sustainable, circular packaging solutions. We’re particularly excited about this investment as it enables us to launch in the UK at a time when the demand for sustainable solutions has never been stronger.

“Consumers and brands alike are seeking impactful ways to contribute to a world where societies and economies can grow and thrive without compromising the environment - and we are here to meet that need. At Movopack, we’re working on making sustainability not just an option, but a standard in e-commerce."

Lucrezia Lucotti, partner at 360 Capital, added: “To date, sustainable packaging for e-commerce has garnered growing attention; however, it continues to be marked by fragmentation, and, notably, a lack of digital integration.

“We are backing the movement to make e-commerce more sustainable through our investment in Movopack’s returnable e-commerce packaging. As they launch in the UK, we believe Movopack is perfectly positioned to lead the charge in transforming how brands implement sustainable practices, and we are glad to support their mission.”