The Best and Easiest Way to Create a Sustainable Packaging
Today, not everything is about the product – it is also about packaging. The companies are competing to create a package that will attract potential buyers and stand out in the crowd. However, that isn’t the only important thing.
Have you ever heard about “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” packaging and products?
Exactly!
Source: ecosistant.eu
The focus nowadays is to create a package out of recycled materials for example and make it as “green” as possible. Buyers are ready to pay more money once they know that the item they got is environmentally friendly.
There is this notion that suggests that we love to do the things which are preserving the planet. Those might be as small as buying from eco-friendly stores, but this is a step in the right direction. But what is the best way to create sustainable packaging? Read this article for more information!
Go small
First of all, you don’t have to create a massive package and fill it up with some cellophane in order to protect the shipment. Use the accommodating box, which is of the right size and the smaller it is, the better.
Take all the safety precautions that are necessary to send your product safely, but find a way to design a box in a way that it is easy to open and that isn’t unnecessarily large. Shrinking your box size reduces various costs and it also reduces the number of materials that are used in making the box.
And less of it there is, the less can pollute the environment. This is something to think about, and do whenever it is possible. It is beneficial for everyone involved.
The Use of Materials
Source: industrial.bostik.com
This is an important step – the choice of materials. Which material is going to keep your product protected when you ship it? Also, which material will look appealing? And which of these is going to last the longest? Can the materials be recycled?
These are all the questions that you want to find the answers to in order to get the best package. Some of the most common materials that are used are plastic and paper. Either is fine, but you will have to indicate that the package can be recycled and perhaps even provide more information where they can do so.
What you don’t want to do is combine multiple materials together because that indicates that you cannot recycle them at all. You can reinforce cardboard, for example, with fiberglass stands and as long as the materials can be separated, it is all good. Mixing plastic and paper may look good, but from the ecological standpoint of view, it is the worst possible solution.
There are now recycling stations in every major city, so you may try to investigate those and find the nearest one to you. Once that package arrives, you will know what to do with it.
Inform the customers about Disposal Practices
One of the biggest mistakes the companies make is that they do not provide information about the disposal. According to Ecotime time which brand, creating a sustainable and eco-friendly box or a bag isn’t easy and that’s why it is always better for a professional company to help you with it.
Most firms just put the recycling sign on their bags and boxes, but without any other information. This sign is easy to miss and you end up throwing the package in the trash. It doesn’t get recycled in the end.
Therefore, there needs to be additional information on the package. A few sentences about what to do with your package is something everyone can incorporate. Or even links that will lead the consumer to a website that talks about recycling and what they can do with their package.
It is important to realize that this is a full circle. Everyone needs to do their best in order for trash to end up at the right place. The companies aren’t doing enough to raise awareness about sustainability, but the buyers are also negligent and they often don’t pay attention to such things.
Either way, as a company, it is your job to provide everything that is necessary and you leave it to the customer to handle their way of the deal.
Manufacturing matters
Source: ribble-pack.co.uk
One of the most important things when it comes to sustainable packaging is the manufacturing process. If you don’t have a facility of your own, you can find manufacturers that have sustainable practices. Such factories reduce electricity and water use to the minimum and they do everything they can to lower emissions.
If this is not a possibility, it is important to find a factory that is close to your shipping warehouse. This will reduce the transport costs to almost zero and consequently you will pollute less.
Think about manufacturing and consider some of the other things that you can do. For example, (although it is not a part of the manufacturing process) shipping by sea is a much better option than air freight. So that’s something else to think about.
Conclusion
Creating a sustainable package requires some sacrifices as well as a different practice than what you are used to. It may take you some time to establish the system and change the manufacturing processes, but once you do that, everything becomes a lot easier.
The points mentioned above provide the basic structure that you can use as a draft. In practice, there are a large number of steps that you will have to make in order to do everything that you’re set out to do.
Are you in between two minds whether or not you should “go green” it is fair to point out that we should all care about our environment and do everything we can to protect it. So, even if it is a small step forward such as creating sustainable packaging, it is worth it.
