{"id":232389,"date":"2021-04-19T18:27:55","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T18:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packlane.com\/blog\/?p=232389"},"modified":"2023-03-15T03:16:44","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T03:16:44","slug":"tips-for-sustainable-packaging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/packlane.com\/blog\/tips-for-sustainable-packaging\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 11 Tips to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Product packaging makes up 28.1% of generated municipal solid waste every year. That accounts for nearly 83 million tons of waste on an annual basis. While that sounds bad, the scariest part is that these numbers are about 4x higher than in 1960.<\/p>\n
As e-commerce popularity continues to rise, there are no signs of this packaging waste trend slowing down any time soon. However, it’s not all bad, doomsday, dim-and-grim.<\/p>\n
Reducing your business’s packaging impact is much easier than it sounds and is undoubtedly possible with a few small shifts in your packaging processes.<\/p>\n
Whether you’re just getting started or are an established business looking to leave the world better than you found it, this article delivers actionable tips you can start implementing today to reduce your environmental impact.<\/p>\n
In the United States alone, we produce around 4.9 lbs of waste per person per day. That’s almost 300 million tons of waste every year. To make matters worse, only 32% of that waste gets recycled or composted.<\/p>\n
There’s a lot of room for improvement to raise that recycled and composted percentage closer to and closer to 100%. While we’ll never be perfect, we can always be better.<\/p>\n
The good news is that there are numerous (simple) things we can do as modern brands and retailers to improve these numbers.<\/p>\n
And the even better news is that emphasizing your environmental responsibility and actively reducing your business’s impact on the environment can also make a massive impact on your bottom line.<\/p>\n
In fact, 60% of consumers are making more sustainable purchases since the start of COVID-19, and 90% of those consumers say they will continue to focus on sustainability in the future.<\/p>\n
The pandemic has actually pushed consumers towards more eco-friendly shopping habits with no signs of this behavior slowing down.<\/p>\n
On top of that, 73% of shoppers are willing to change their habits to reduce impacts on the environment, and eco-friendly packaging is one of the top attributes people are willing to pay more for.<\/p>\n
One study even showed that more than half of consumers across 11 different countries are more than willing to pay more for eco-friendly products.<\/p>\n
Not only do consumers care about sustainability and doing their part in protecting our world, but they’re also willing to pay for it. As such, you can raise your prices and potentially generate more revenue while reducing your impact with sustainable product packaging.<\/p>\n
Now that you know that it’s 100% worth it let’s talk about how to do it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First and foremost, it’s crucial to pay attention and understand where your packaging comes from and what happens to it after your customers dispose of it. On top of that, you also need to consider the transportation and warehousing carbon footprint of your packaging materials.<\/p>\n
Once you know these things, you can work towards making more sustainable material choices across your packaging’s entire lifecycle.<\/p>\n
Most product packaging comes into existence in one of three ways: from virgin materials, partially recycled materials, or 100% recycled materials.<\/p>\n
In most cases, it’s best to avoid using virgin materials because this means you’re using fewer new resources from day one. However, that’s not always possible. If you have to go with virgin materials, we recommend paying close attention to where they come from.<\/p>\n
Are they made using paper from sustainable logging operations? Maybe they come from banana peels or potatoes. Plant-based packaging may actually do more harm than good since it could require the clearing of essential forests to create more space to grow those plants instead. Either way, do your research to ensure you’re making the best choice.<\/p>\n
Partially recycled materials are the most common and easiest to find. Most of our cardboard products contain recycled materials, with our 100% Recycled Kraft corrugated cardboard for our Econoflex boxes containing the highest percentages.<\/p>\n
Regardless of where your materials come from, you should also pay close attention to where they go when consumers are done with them.<\/p>\n
The best sustainable materials are accessible for the end-user to recycle, reuse, or compost. If you decide on compostable packaging, you should also consider how long it takes for that material to degrade over time. The shorter, the better.<\/p>\n
However, it’s important to remember that some materials may require industrial-grade recycling or composting and can’t be done at home. In that case, many users will probably opt to throw it away instead of taking it somewhere, so it’s best to avoid those types of materials if you can.<\/p>\n
On top of that, some external treatments and finishes make recycling or composting impossible. Things like coatings, printing methods, and combining multiple materials play a role in how easy it is to sustainably dispose of your product packaging.<\/p>\n
Despite being easy to overlook, carbon emissions during transportation and warehousing is a crucial consideration. In a nutshell, the amount of space something occupies before you use it matters. Packing peanuts, for example, are bulky and take up a lot of space. As a result, fewer things fit in the delivery truck, increasing the carbon footprint of those peanuts. Furthermore, they take up a lot of space on the shelf. Warehouses require electricity and resources to keep running. So, the more things you can fit inside, the lower the carbon footprint for each material.<\/p>\n
If we use SpiroPack fill instead, you can fit more into the same amount of space. It expands to 10x its packaged size, and one 10 lb. box is enough to fill nearly 300 shipping boxes. In turn, the mail carrier can fit more packages onto the truck in the same load, and more materials fit inside the warehouse. Taking up less space = a lower carbon footprint all around. Plus, SpiroPack is curbside recyclable, whereas packing peanuts aren’t (bonus!).<\/p>\n
Now that you understand the packaging lifecycle, you can use that knowledge to choose more sustainable materials. Our corrugated and paperboard products include mailer boxes, shipping boxes, and product boxes in custom sizes to fit your products like a glove. With so many different types of eco-friendly packaging, you can get the packaging of your dreams while still doing your part in reducing waste and protecting the environment. Mother Nature will thank you, and your customers will too.<\/p>\n
If you’re looking to take sustainability a step further, you can opt for 100% recycled and recyclable biodegradable shipping boxes. Our kraft Econoflex<\/a> boxes are durable, sturdy, and minimalist, making them perfect for any brand looking to make a bold sustainability statement with their packaging.<\/p>\n However, sustainable shipping materials extend past the exterior box. When it comes to protecting what’s inside, ditch the packing peanuts for more eco-friendly options like SpiroPack or Flexi-Hex instead.<\/p>\n If you’re shipping products in oversized boxes, you’re throwing away a lot of money and creating unnecessary packaging waste. On top of that, larger-than-necessary boxes increase your transportation carbon footprint since fewer packages fit on the truck.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
3. Use Custom-Sized Packaging to Reduce Waste<\/span><\/h2>\n