Packaging can be found in a variety of places, including your delivery truck, cabinets, and shopping cart. This quantity of plastic and other artificial materials has the potential to pollute the environment. But there is a substitute: environmentally friendly packaging. We'll go over all the advantages of eco-friendly packaging that you may get in this blog.
What’s the Issue with Normal Packaging?
What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?
The Environmental Benefits of Eco-Friendly Packaging
How Eco-Friendly Packaging Benefits your Business
What’s the Issue with Normal Packaging?
Packaging is primarily used to hold and safeguard products. Nowadays, convenience is frequently the driving factor behind packaging, particularly when it comes to food and throwaway items. Typically, polyethylene is used in the packaging that we come across. It can be of different kinds:
Bottles for beverages are frequently made with polyethelene terephthalate. Of all the plastic resins, it is the most prevalent and frequently recycled.
High-density polyethelene is used to create containers for bulkier products and liquids including motor oil, shampoo, and laundry detergent.
Low-density polyethelene is used to create flexible plastic films and plastic bags. Not a lot of this plastic can be recycled.
These types of plastic can even cover the clothes we buy, either given to us in a plastic bag or delivered in plastic packaging.
Along with its practicality, plastic is thought to be recyclable by many, and they are accurate. But does that imply that everything is recycled? Regrettably, no. 70% of plastics that are recyclable in Europe end up in a landfill or the sea.
The production process of non-environmentally friendly packaging is another problem it creates. The majority of plastic is not only produced by refining crude oil, but the breakdown process is also dangerous. Over hundreds of years, as plastic deteriorates, it may also emit poisonous compounds like bisphenol A, which can mess with animals' hormonal systems.
You may also be wondering, "What about paper and cardboard? They must be organic and eco-friendly, right? The solution is intricate. Paper and cardboard are natural materials, but that doesn't make them an environmentally beneficial choice for packaging. The pulp and paper sector uses 40% of all wood that is traded internationally. This area of woodland is roughly 7.5 million hectares.
Let's confront the alternative—eco-friendly packaging—to combat these problems.
What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition has established the following guidelines for what constitutes environmentally responsible or sustainable packaging:
a product that is advantageous, secure, and healthy for people and communities throughout its entire cycle.
meets price and performance standards in the market.
using renewable energy to be sourced, produced, moved, and recycled.
maximises the use of resources that are either renewable or recycled.
is produced using cutting-edge clean production techniques.
is constructed using non-toxic components that last for the duration of its life.
is built to maximise energy and materials.
successfully recovered and used in closed-loop biological and/or industrial cycles.
Basically, it must be made of environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable materials.
The Environmental Benefits of Eco-Friendly Packaging
Reduces Carbon Footprints
Your package will have a significantly smaller carbon footprint if it is produced from recycled materials. Similar to this, the expansion of such products actually removes carbon from the atmosphere if the packaging is produced from natural materials like bamboo or FSC-approved paper or cardboard. Eco-friendly packaging is the way to go if you want to make your company carbon neutral.
Biodegradable
The packaging will be biodegradable if it is composed of natural materials. Plastic is difficult to biodegrade; it can take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose, releasing dangerous compounds along the way. Some environmentally friendly packaging, such those made of sustainable paper, may even be compostable.
Simple to Dispose of
In the UK and throughout Europe, the majority of businesses and locales have specific recycling or disposal facilities or services. Recycling is now rather simple as long as you separate your disposables so they may be recycled correctly.
No Dangerous Toxins
The extraction, refinement, distribution, use, and disposal of non-sustainable petrochemical resources, such as crude oil, which is used to manufacture the majority of plastic, are extremely detrimental to the environment. Over the course of its use, eco-friendly packaging has none of these problems. Harmful chemicals like those produced by plastic are not present as it biodegrades.
Simple to Reuse or Recycle
The ability of packaging to be recycled or reused contributes to its eco-friendliness. Promoting the reuse of packaging extends its useful life, minimising the demand for new materials and the carbon footprint of the package. It should be possible to reuse the packaging for things like further packaging, storage, and even arts and crafts if it is of high enough quality.
How Eco-Friendly Packaging Benefits Your Business
Versatile Eco-Friendly Packaging
Eco-friendly packaging can be used in any sector. There will be an eco-friendly packaging type that will suit your particular requirements, whether you're searching for packaging for groceries, apparel, cosmetics, or even electronic products.
It boosts your brand's reputation.
Building trust with your clientele by being an ecologically conscious business. Sustainable product trends are becoming more popular. For instance, sustainability is a hot concern in the fashion sector.
By 2025, according to fashion manufacturer Zara, all of its collections will be created entirely of sustainable materials. There are even proposals for certifications to be established so that fashion firms can claim to be "really" sustainable. By keeping up with trends, your company will always be at the cutting edge of innovation and client happiness.
It may lower transportation expenses.
If you buy high-quality, environmentally friendly packaging, you might need to use less of it overall. Costs associated with transportation will therefore be lower overall.
Aids in Growing Your Customer Base
90% of CEOs believe that success depends on sustainability. With the emergence of sustainability trends, it is clear that consumers prefer to connect with and make purchases from companies that pursue sustainable goals and practises. Any firm, whether it is established or just getting started, needs to prioritise sustainability.
Get the Most Out of Your Packaging
It might take a lot of effort to create, design, and find eco-friendly packaging, especially if you're not sure what you're searching for.
We've developed a comprehensive packaging guide that walks you through the process from beginning to end to assist you make a decision. The manual covers a wide range of topics, including package kinds, design advice, putting together artwork, prototyping, production, and much more.
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