Reducing unnecessary packaging
Bol wanted to reduce unnecessary packaging and get ahead of the EU's PPWR regulation. We joined their internal team three days a week to tackle NoPack, set CO₂ reduction targets, and prepare for what's coming.
3 projects, in order
Each one grew out of the last. This is what a long engagement actually looks like.
Packaging LCA data upgrade
Diving into the new LCA methodology of their packaging data to understand where the hotspots are.
NoPack (preventing extra materials for outer packaging) in full effect! This means a lot of project and stakeholder management, setting up team processes, working out the kinks for over 43million items and their original packaging.
HVO Fuel for packaging tramsport legs
Setting up HVO business case and working with packaging partners to get HVO in the transport modes for packaging at bol. This will help reduce emissions around 8-15% per item.
How it actually went
Written by the person who did the work, not by marketing.
You've probably held one. That iconic dotted bol.com box. The one that turns up on your doorstep when you've ordered online. It's designed to protect your purchase on its journey to you. But what if the product inside is already perfectly well packaged? Do you still need the box?
That's the question Maxine worked on at bol. From August 2025, she joined the team three days a week to help tackle several packaging challenges:
- NoPack: reducing the use of outer boxes when original product packaging is already strong enough to ship on its own.
- CO₂ targets: making the impact of packaging tangible and setting meaningful internal reduction targets.
- Regulatory readiness: preparing for the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) and addressing packaging questions as part of bol's B Corp journey.
- HVO fuel: introducing cleaner fuel for packaging transporters, cutting CO₂ per package by roughly 12%.
The complexity behind a box
NoPack sounds simple. Just skip the outer box. But with 43 million items sitting in bol's warehouses — each with its own packaging, fragility, and branding — the question of what can ship as-is gets complicated fast. Can this product's original packaging handle the journey? Is there anything that should be kept private — think intimate products, or a gift for someone who shares your address?
Answering those questions meant pulling together people from warehousing, commercial, tech, and logistics. Finding shared language across teams with different priorities is exactly where Maxine thrives.
Results worth celebrating
By July 2026, over 87% of the annual NoPack target had already been met. Something to be proud of.
Want to read more about NoPack from bol's perspective? Check out this article.
Other long-running relationships
Maxine and Nina started working for OLX when they were still consultants at Rebel. Six years later, OLX Group is still with us. Client Ana: "I'll keep you on retainer forever."
Bugaboo acquired Joolz, and inherited Maxine along the way. She's now helping them prepare for B Corp under the new 2025 standards, and migrating LCA data from her Joolz days to measure the product footprint across 40+ strollers and accessories.
De Bonte Koe has always had sustainability in their minds, but B Corp certification kept getting pushed aside. When their pistachio bar went viral and the team hit full capacity, we stepped in to get them over the finish line.