“The BikeBox for e-bikes is a flagship project for sustainable shipping, and the European roll-out is a real pioneering feat achieved by our Logistics department,” says Dr Sandra Wolf, CEO of Riese & Müller. “From the initial idea and process development to major roll-out, we have been promoting a reusable system that can act as a ready-to-use concept for the whole bicycle industry. We do not intend to remain the only manufacturer that ships products in reusable boxes.”

Under constant development

The BikeBox, developed by manufacturer circular logistics, was initially intended for private use. However, Riese & Müller decided to start using it on a much larger scale. Since 2023, the reusable system has been assessed for its practicality in two test phases with 90 international dealers, and the boxes and processes have been continuously optimised along the way. More than 1,000 dealers from Germany, Austria, Benelux, France, Italy and Spain are now taking part in the serial operation.

Made of 60% recycled polypropylene (PP), the BikeBox is highly robust and can be used up to 30 times to ship e-bikes. Once the dealer successfully receives their shipment, they fold the boxes to save space and send them back to Riese & Müller. The boxes are then tested and fed back into the loop. At the end of their use phase, they can be completely recycled. 

In addition to its reusability, the BikeBox has other advantages:

• The material is much more durable than standard cardboard, which better protects the bicycle against damage in transit.
• The BikeBox can also be stored outdoors as the material is good at withstanding weather and rain.
• The risk of injury when cutting open a cardboard box is also avoided.

From now on, the reusable boxes will be used across Europe as the free standard shipping option for day orders placed by Riese & Müller dealers. In future, dealers can request shipment in conventional cardboard boxes at an additional cost.