Are you a business that packs and ships products every day? If so, you have been using different types of materials like plastic, PVC, Foam wraps, and styrofoam. But these materials are harmful to the environment as they release carbon footprints. But the trend has changed in recent years. Businesses are adopting sustainable packaging solutions due to increased global warming. They are choosing eco-friendly material options like cardboard, corrugated, and Kraft that do not cause land waste.
MyBoxPrinting is a reliable packaging partner that offers you sustainable custom boxes and packaging solutions. We at MyBoxPrinting understand the fact that customers are hurt by brands who offer packaging that goes into land waste. We use eco-friendly and sustainable packaging materials that are not only durable, eye-catching but also produce little to no carbon footprint.
In this blog, we are going to learn what sustainable packaging is and how it can contribute to saving the environment. Let's get started!
Every business uses different materials for packing their products. Whether it is a food, retail, or online business, all businesses use packaging options that might be plastic, styrofoam, glass, or other materials. These materials are not recyclable and produce carbon footprints harmful to the environment. With increased environmental pollution, there is a need for eco-friendly packaging, which is termed as sustainable packaging.
Sustainable Packaging means packaging made with eco-friendly materials that do not pollute the environment. It does cause land waste. The businesses are taking into account the issue of environmental pollution and adopting packaging that is sustainable and eco-friendly.
Packaging has a direct impact on the planet either it is blue or green. The excessive use of non-recyclable materials and single-use plastic causes landfills, harm to the marine and green environment. All these are the reasons that are driving businesses to sustainable packaging.
Moreover, consumer behavior has also changed. Consumers are now eco-conscious and support brands that prefer eco-friendly packaging. According to stats:
51% of millennials check for sustainable packaging before making a purchase. 70% of consumers are impressed by eco-friendly packaging and do not hesitate to purchase the product even if it's costly. 39% of consumers look for food and beverage packaging with environmental information. 66% of consumers have left using products for environmental reasons.
According to research by Nielsen, 48% of consumers are ready to change their habits to promote sustainability.
Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy. There are four pillars for sustainability that each business must incorporate. They are human, social. economic and environmental sustainability that are interlinked with each other. It is not necessary to incorporate all four pillars of sustainability into your business. But the ultimate mission of a business should be to choose packaging that incorporates all. Let's understand what each pillar is:
In terms of business, human sustainability means you must respect human capital and acknowledge the stakeholders. The stakeholders are the people who are involved in making products and providing services. If communities do not acknowledge them, there will be an adverse impact on the business.
Social sustainability refers to improving the social quality by strengthening specific social groups. It is the preservation of social capital and the provision of services to support society, including communities, cultures, and globalization.
It refers to the stability of the economy to stand out in all situations or changes. Instead of the concept "growth at every cost", businesses must shift to grow with an understanding of the actual costs. This will help businesses stabilize the economy at every turn.
Environmental sustainability is the responsibility of businesses, which means they are responsible for conserving renewable resources. It is their responsibility to choose sustainable practices that benefit the environment.
If you want your business to be successful, you must incorporate all these pillars. You must apply a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach, which will help you to balance profit with environmental concerns. No one can stop you from standing out if your business meets all sustainability goals.
To understand why environmental sustainability is important, you must learn about "What is Evironmental Packaging?".
Are you looking for green packaging to ship your products? You must know the following types of sustainable packaging to save your planet:
Recyclable packaging helps you to conserve natural and renewable resources. The recyclable materials reduce the amount of waste and landfills. Using recyclable packaging, you can give a second life to plastic packaging in the form of recycled plastics.
According to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "you can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil and 7000 gallons of water."
Compostable packaging is a type of packaging made from compostable materials that break down into soil. They are usually made from plant-based materials that decompose easily. When they are of no use, they are decomposed into the soil under composting conditions. The best thing is that they do not leach any toxins into the soil.
A compostable material decomposes into soil within 180 days at home and 90 days in industrial composting conditions. The examples include bagasse, mushroom packaging, sea weed packaging, and others.
You must read about "5 Ideas For Compostable Biodegradable Friendly Packaging" to make your brand stand out in this eco-conscious world.
Biodegradable packaging comprises materials that decompose naturally into raw materials due to the presence of microorganisms. These materials decompose in short periods, unlike plastic, which takes centuries to break down and still releases harmful residues.
The examples of biodegradable packaging include paper, cornstarch plastic, and cardboard packaging. Moreover, food waste is processed to make bioplastics, edible films, and coatings.
Reusable packaging is designed to be used more than once to reduce waste. This type of packaging is not discarded after one use.
The reusable materials are more eco-friendly because you do not discard them after one use. Instead, you use them for other purposes as well. Some examples of reusable materials are glass, metal, and sturdy plastics.
By adopting any type of sustainable packaging, you can reduce environmental impact. Choose materials that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, and durable.
The sustainable materials are recyclable, reusable, and eco-friendly. They do not harm your environment. These materials reduce the environmental impact to save the environment. We recommend the following sustainable materials for product packaging:
Cardboard is a material you can find in almost every product packaging. It is a durable and lightweight material made from paper pulp. It is used for various applications, from producing boxes for products to shipping boxes. It is a recyclable and eco-friendly option for packaging, which makes it a popular option worldwide.
You must read Is Cardboard Environmentally Friendly? to explore the world of eco-friendly cardboard packaging.
No material can beat Kraft when it comes to eco-friendliness and durability. It is a raw material made from wood pulp. You can soak, chop, cook, strain, clean, bleach, and reform this material to create new paper packaging.
It is true that Kraft becomes less durable when it is recycled. But still, the recycled Kraft is biodegradable and easy to compost. So, in all conditions, it is eco-friendly and does not harm the planet.
It is used for paper bags, gift boxes, mailer boxes, and more. You can also add it to corrugated cardboard and folding cartons for shipping. Kraft has a natural brown color that gives your packaging a rustic charm that will appeal to customers.
Have you ever seen the egg trays or cartons? They are made from molded pulp. It is a raw material that we use for egg cartons, box inserts, and beverage trays. It is made from recycled paper and cardboard. It is a durable material, and you can recycle it as many times as you want.
It is a great alternative to plastic box inserts and trays because of its shock-absorbing properties. It is a flexible material as you can mold it into new shapes.
Corrugated Cardboard is made by adding flutes between two layers of paperboard. They have two outer layers called linerboard and a corrugated inner layer.
It is a commonly used material for creating shipping boxes because of its strength and impact resistance. They are ideal for packaging and shipping e-commerce, healthcare, and other products.
Mushroom packaging is one of the emerging types of compostable packaging. This material is made from agricultural waste and the root structure of mushrooms, i.e., mycelium.
It naturally decomposes into soil and leaches nutritional components. If you want to give a cushioning effect to fragile items during shipping.
Are you looking for a material that has plastic like properties? Cornstarch is a renewable material alternative to plastic. It is made from the starch of corn kernels. It is biodegradable, unlike Styrofoam and plastic. Like plastic, it is easy to mold into various containers like trays, lids, bags, plates, and packing peanuts and pellets.
It is water-soluble and marine animals can eat it. It does not affect the quality of marine life when dissolved into water.
Plant-based films are produced from natural polymers (starch, cellulose, and polylactic acid). These natural materials are an alternative to plastic. You can use these flexible and clear films to wrap your food products.
They break down into soil easily and do not leave harmful and toxic residue in the environment.
When you need transparent packaging for your materials, you will not always be using glass or plastic. What can be used as an alternative? Glassine is a glossy packaging material that is made from wood pulp. It is biodegradable and recyclable.
Green cell foam is a packaging material you can simply dissolve in water or compost at home or industrial sites. It is a bio-based material that is produced from US corn. It can serve as plastic air pillows to ship your products.
Cellulose packaging is a great alternative to plastic for food packaging. It is made from natural resources like hemp, wood, and cotton. This packaging has moisture-resistant properties, so you can pack the food items without any worry.
Sustainable packaging has the potential to decrease environmental pollution. It creates a positive brand image, as by using these materials you are partaking in a movement to save the planet. Let’s take a look at a few of the advantages that should convince you to choose sustainable packaging:
Today’s consumers love packaging that can be reused; they dislike wasted packaging. In fact, they are hurt by the brands that discard their packages after a single use. When you switched to biodegradable, recyclable packaging, you can create a positive brand image.
Packaging materials that are recyclable or biodegradable do not create a carbon footprint or landfills. These materials can all be reused or used for natural decomposition that leaves no toxic waste. In fact, choose these materials in order to be the solution, and not be the pollution of a healthy environment.
Save the world from polution and be it more eco-friendly with biodegradable materials, so you should learn about "What Is Difference Between Degradable And Biodegradable?".
The reusable packaging stays in the minds of customers for a long time. If they come across your product packaging again, it will be very pleasing to them. You will have the chance to promote your brand and win the hearts of customers along the way.
The customers prefer brands that use sustainable materials for packaging and shipping their products. The sustainable boxes attract customers to your business and increase the chances of sales.
Sustainable packaging does not require excessive materials, and packaging waste is also minimal. Moreover, they have a long lifespan, so you can use the materials for the production of boxes.
The US government is trying to reduce the environmental impact by applying sustainable material management practices.
Despite saving the environment, the companies can also save money if they use lightweight and sustainable packaging. They will be reused and reduce the waste in the environment. Recycling the packaging instead of discarding it is the way to reduce landfills.
We at MyBoxPrinting are reliable packaging experts who offer custom packaging solutions for all small- to large-scale businesses. We understand the fact that sustainable packaging is the demand of customers and it gains sales for your business. We create eco-friendly packaging that is functional and attractive to promote your business in the market. We support our potential customers with high-quality materials, free design support, free sampling, and US-wide free shipping.
Environmental pollution is increasing day by day. The one reason for this is unsustainable packaging that increases the landfills. It is time for the packaging industries to shift towards sustainable packaging solutions. The environmentally friendly packaging contributes to saving the environment. For the packaging and shipping of your products, you should use compostable and recycled materials. The Earth will say, Thank you.
We, as packaging experts, recommend sustainable packaging solutions for your products. It will be beneficial for your brand because customers prefer to purchase from businesses that use sustainable packaging materials.
What is another word for sustainable packaging?
Eco-packaging is another term used as an alternative to sustainable packaging. Both mean packaging that does not harm the environment.
What are the 7Rs of sustainable packaging?
The 7Rs means seven ways or strategies to improve sustainable packaging. They are rethinking, refusing, reusing, reducing, recycling, repurposing, and rotting.
How to identify sustainable packaging?
Sustainable packaging is made with biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable materials. So, if a packaging comprises these materials, you can identify it as sustainable packaging.
What is sustainability in food packaging?
Sustainability in food packaging means the use of biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable packaging materials.
What are the 3Rs of sustainability?
The 3Rs of sustainability are Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
What packaging logo is related to sustainability?
The packaging logo is related to FSC, which refers to the Forest Stewardship Council. This agency is a non-profit organization that promotes responsible management. If the packaging has an FSC logo, it means the packaging is biodegradable.
