A growing number of businesses are focusing on being more environmentally conscious, particularly when it comes to how they ship and deliver their products. It can be all well and good to say that you will focus on using sustainable packaging, but with so many options available, what counts as truly sustainable?
There are various perspectives around what makes one material more or less sustainable than another. As a business owner or decision maker, this can make it harder to choose which packaging to use for your products.
In this blog, we’ll explore the world of sustainable packaging, why it’s important and how you can incorporate more sustainable packaging options into your deliveries.
What is sustainable packaging?
This feels like an age-old question. Rather than focusing on what materials or types of packaging are considered sustainable, it helps to come back to the root meaning: packaging that lowers environmental impact across its lifecycle.
When you frame it like this, sustainable packaging broadly means any packaging made from recycled or easily recyclable materials. Cardboard, for example, ticks this box provided the pulp used in its production comes from sustainable and given that it can be easily recycled.
But it also means having the right amount of packaging for what you’re shipping. For instance, shipping a book protected by bubblewrap as well as a box is unnecessary given that this isn’t a fragile item. Yet, if you’re shipping a ceramic mug, for instance, you will need some form of protective layer like bubblewrap inside the box.
The idea is to minimise the waste produced when shipping any product and to only use an appropriate amount of packaging for your products. The FSC has four key principles for sustainable packaging that act as a useful guide.
The definition of sustainable packaging can also extend to the emissions created during the production of the packaging itself, as well as the amount of waste created.
All of this adds up to a nuanced picture and highlights that choosing the right sustainable packaging for your business will hinge on various factors.
Why is sustainable packaging important?
As a business, why should you care what packaging you use? The answer simply is that many consumers care, which means you could be losing customers if you are not consciously choosing your packaging materials.
Research from McKinsey found that consumers consistently deem the environmental impact of products important, which extends to packaging. What’s more, the research found that the recyclability of packaging is the most important factor for consumers when considering sustainability.
From a business perspective, when you’re choosing your packaging you also need to consider how it aligns with your brand. If you are selling eco-friendly products, for instance, shipping them wrapped in single-use plastic is not likely to go down well with your customers.
What sustainable packaging options are there?
The good news is that there is a wealth of sustainable packaging options that businesses can adopt. The following are some places you can start:
1. Custom cardboard boxes
Custom cardboard boxes can be made to suit the size of your product, so you’re minimising waste while also ensuring that your products are well protected when they are shipped.
Of course, custom cardboard boxes offer the added benefit of branding and personalisation, which can help you deliver a truly outstanding service to your customers.
2. Biodegradable loose fill chips
We’re sure you’ve received products surrounded by polystyrene chips. While they might form an effective protective barrier, polystyrene is terrible for the environment because it is not recyclable and easily breaks down into microplastics that enter the soil, water and food chain.
But there is an easy swap for polystyrene packing peanuts: biodegradable loose fill chips made from maize. This makes them fully biodegradable while providing the same level of protection for your products.
3. Cardboard protective matting
This is another form of packaging designed to protect a product in a box or another container. It’s ideally suited to heavier items. What’s more, the cardboard is also a more durable option than bubblewrap, which could be pierced by sharp edges.
Cardboard protective matting is a low-cost, fully recyclable option to protect your products in transit.
4. Gusseted paper envelopes
These are like brown paper bags that you can use instead of polythene bags for shipping bulky but light items that aren’t going to be damaged easily during transit – such as clothing or other fabric goods, for instance.
Their main advantage is that they are fully recyclable, not to mention that they can be custom printed with a design of your choice to help reinforce your branding to everyone who buys from you.
