Innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented increase in online shopping and home delivery services, both of which provide convenience to users. However, these trends are accompanied by a disheartening truth: an increase in the use of single-use plastic packaging.

Founded in 2020, Fifth Express is an eco-friendly delivery service operating within the National Capital Region of the Philippines. The company offers the usual promises of fast, hassle-free, and reliable delivery. All users have to do is create a free account on their website, book a pick-up, receive their packaging from the delivery riders, prepare their packages, and track the shipment of their packages online. However, Fifth Express offers more than just quality service. It strives to deliver more than what is expected by committing itself to sustainability, which can be seen in the company's following initiatives and processes:

• 100% compostable mailers. To cut down the excessive use of plastic, Fifth Express uses 100% compostable mailers made from a combination of corn-based biopolymers. Comparable to biodegradable packaging, these compostable materials break down within six months, leaving no toxic residue behind.
• Electronic waybill. Part of the company's sustainability approach includes the reinforcement of an electronic waybill to reduce the need to print on paper and use ink and stickers in their processes.
• Minimum of 2 parcels. As delivery services take on multiple trips and rely on motorbikes that emit carbon dioxide and other pollutants that contribute to air pollution and global warming, Fifth Express requires a minimum of two parcels in every booking to make each trip worth the ride, reducing the carbon footprint of its riders.

Ultimately, Fifth Express takes its sustainability advocacy one step further by integrating sustainability into its services and business processes. On top of these, Fifth Express is still constantly looking for more ways to innovate and integrate sustainability further, including but not limited to the prospect of eventually sourcing cassava-based packaging from a local supplier.

Fifth Express' compostable mailers, in different sizes

Inspiration

Norlita Vicente is an environmentalist at heart. She’s very firm with her values, sharing: “Whenever I can, I would refuse to use plastic in my own personal life.”

Norlita’s childhood was spent living near the ocean in the Quezon province of the Philippines. During these days, she witnessed firsthand how plastic pollution damaged her area's marine ecosystem, motivating her to take action. Despite being the only one among her friends who advocate for preserving her province's natural beauty and ecological balance, Norlita continues to push for cleaner rivers and oceans.

Her innate passion for promoting sustainable practices, preserving the natural world, and mitigating the effects of climate change led her to become involved in various environmental initiatives and organizations. Today, Norlita commits to reducing plastic waste in all areas of her life and raising awareness about the critical environmental issues facing our world, particularly how single-use plastics end up in landfills and release harmful chemicals to the environment. She acquired Fifth Express when she found out that the founders were struggling to continue the business, and she has made it her mission to carry on their advocacy for sustainability, make the company's services and processes even better, and inspire other companies to take action to protect the planet for future generations. Norlita expressed that while the business is still relatively small, “what we’re happy about is that we’re creating a small yet accumulative impact [on] the environment.”

Overall impact

“A short-term impact will always create a long-term impact." - Norlita

Fifth Express operates with a future-oriented mindset and remains driven by its sustainability advocacy.

• Shared responsibility between the business and Philippine entrepreneurs. With the value of its 100% compostable mailers, Fifth Express inspires entrepreneurs, who comprise the majority of its customers, to help the environment. It allows these entrepreneurs to fulfill their social responsibility and reduce their carbon footprint with every compostable mailer they order. Fifth Express also helps foster a supportive and caring entrepreneurial space where entrepreneurs can help each other help to make the world a better place to live in.
• Shared responsibility between the business and end-consumers. Fifth Express endorses the SDGs concerned with responsible consumption and production (12) and climate action (13) to both businesses and end consumers by introducing more sustainable alternatives to plastic. It encourages consumers to take tiny steps toward helping the environment by purchasing from businesses that use compostable mailers.
• Reduction in plastic use = healthier environment. Since the 100% compostable mailer is made of corn-based biopolymers and breaks down within six months, less waste reaches landfills, and fewer microbeads are thrown into the ocean. Microbeads are tiny plastics that have damaging effects on marine life and the environment (Australia Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, n.d.).
• Sustainable processes = reduction in carbon emissions. Since sustainable materials and practices are integrated into each part of its operations, Fifth Express reduces its carbon emissions, making the business more responsible and sustainable in the long run. Small steps toward sustainability, such as shifting to electronic waybills, are embraced by Fifth Express.

Business benefit

Fifth Express has, in many ways, a first-mover advantage. It uniquely offers a sustainable logistics service through which it has gained recognition in three dimensions.

• Customers. Fifth Express enjoys excellent feedback on its compostable mailers from customers, most of whom are small stores on Instagram. Fifth Express continues to benefit from its loyal patronage.
• Business Sphere. Fifth Express has successfully made itself known in the MSME business scene, especially in the fashion industry. Because of its smart product innovation, expansion is easy to pursue either through big clients reaching out to Norlita or through Fifth Express actively servicing more areas in the metro. Fifth Express has even been invited to events by the European Chamber of Commerce to showcase its products.
• Media Entities. Being featured by major Philippine media outlets like GMA and Rappler, Fifth Express has started to gain the attention of more than just those who are sustainability advocates. Lifestyle and sustainability blogs have featured Fifth Express: NoliSoli, Rank the Magazine, and EcoHive.

Social and environmental benefit

Fifth Express distributes 100% compostable mailers – an alternative that beats plastic in terms of having a minimal environmental impact. To put that into perspective, plastic takes at least 20 years to decompose (Chariot Energy, 2021), while Fifth Express’ packaging only takes six months! Consequently, compostable packaging reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and gives the soil around us additional nutrients (Packaging Supplies, 2020). It also requires less carbon and energy to produce (Packaging Supplies, 2020).

By selling a product that is good for our environment, Fifth Express inspires businesses and consumers alike to start caring about how our individual actions have an impact on the world. Enterprises realize that taking tiny steps, like shifting to compostable mailers, toward minimizing harmful environmental effects is possible and often rewarded by consumer loyalty. On the other hand, the ubiquitousness of Fifth Express’ packaging may create more eco-conscious consumers as more people become aware of their superpower to prioritize shopping at environmentally friendly establishments.

However, it must be noted that Fifth Express’ packaging and logistics service costs a pretty penny relative to e-commerce giants that use plastic. Fifth Express’s service costs around twice as much as Lazada's shipping and packaging charges. It can be argued that customers who actively choose Fifth Express as a packaging option must be strong advocates for the environment, considering they are willing to pay more for the finished product. It is nice that they now have the option to have items wrapped according to their advocacy.

Fifth Express dreams of the day its compostable packaging is available nationwide in the Philippines, reaching customers in Visayas and Mindanao islands. The company also hopes that one day, its innovative packaging can be made from local ingredients like cassava and manufactured by a local supplier. By supporting local, Fifth Express looks forward to helping our fellow citizens be an integral part of the growing environmental movement.

Interview

Norlita "Lee" Vicente, CEO