3 Tips for Sustainable Packaging
Packaging plays a critical role in environmental issues. See how you can help contribute to the solution with sustainable packaging.
From manufacturing to shipping, the entire process of order fulfillment is going green. When companies look at reducing waste and the carbon footprint, much of the focus lands on emissions and energy. With the advent of ecommerce, however, packaging plays an increasingly greater role in environmental issues. Sustainable packaging is gaining traction, and for good reason. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but also it can reduce costs for companies who use it.
Some of the costs associated with packaging include materials, handling, transportation, and replacement. These can all be reduced with some environmentally-conscientious options. Here are three keys to help you choose more sustainable packaging for your needs.
- Evaluate your options for materials. Some popular choices for sustained packaging materials are recycled, recyclable, and reusable. Reusable packaging is especially great if you’re the one reusing it. It can save you a significant amount of money over time. However, you have to be careful to choose material that can handle repeated shipping. A similar concern goes for recycled or recyclable materials – if they are too flimsy to withstand shipping, they will cost you more in the end and do nothing environmentally positive. Ensure that you’re still using the right packaging for the job.
- Use the right size. When you maximize your product-to-package ratio, you accomplish two things. First, you use less packaging material overall, which limits waste and resource draining. Second, you take up less space on a train, truck, or ship. Optimizing space in the shipping vessel allows more to be moved in one trip, reducing emissions and energy consumption during travel.
- Consider damage control. Replacing goods that have been damaged during transit is contrary to any initiative to be lean or eco-friendly. Therefore, make sure that you’ve got damage control in the back of your mind when you’re choosing materials and package size. There are numerous lightweight, effective means of product protection that will still enable you to have sustainable packaging.
Choosing a reputable packaging company will strengthen your efforts. They should be able to thoroughly answer your questions. The right company will already have some eco-friendly options available and have a time-tested understanding of how well the packaging performs in various conditions.
Packnet is an industry leader in environmentally-friendly packaging solutions for both commercial and industrial applications. We engineer and fabricate custom solutions for manufacturing, machinery, sports equipment, medical, distribution, and material handling needs. Let us know how we can help you with your sustainable packaging: 952-944-9124.