Best sustainable Packaging Strategies that work 

We’re living in a world where you have to be sustainable. Many businesses are taking the plunge and providing eco-friendly practices that bolster a better, greener sort of footprint. When you’re looking at the packaging world, plenty of businesses make choices along with tradeoffs that allow them to grow. There are tons of strategies that are successful, and they promote this type of packaging, which aligns with the sustainability in your mind. Here, we’ll go over the sustainable strategies that do work. 

Packaging Material Locations 

One big thing is where it comes from. Even when the packaging seems to be sustainable, it’s negated if you have a packaging provider that’s far out.  You want to make sur that you don’t eat up the costs and any problems, as this can cause a negative footprint that impacts the goals for sustainability. It’s also far easier to get someone that’s closer to you, so getting a local source is better for this. 

Packaging amount 

You want to use the correct amount of packaging. Getting rid of any frills or anything that’s added and doesn’t bring value to the product is integral. With a lot of competition happening everywhere, businesses will get creative with the packaging that they offer. This lets them stand out, and also will help with making it easier for the packaging to be sustainable.  Using too much doesn’t look good these days, and customers will mention this.  Preserving the world around you is something worth focusing on, so make sure you’re only using what’s absolutely needed for packaging. 

Container Size 

Shrinking the packaging in order to fit into smaller container sizes is good for shipping costs, and also reduces the amount of materials that you use. 

You can also get more customized packaging that fits the product, catering to the sizes that are there 

If the business model requires it, you can also use packaging that’s standardized so you only need a few box sizes. If you can do this, it also will save you money and look better too. 

Mixing Materials 

It’s not something that you should do for your final packaging. For instance, plastic and paper shouldn’t be mixed, since they won’t be easy to recycle. 

If there are different materials that are put together, you won’t be able to separate them for packaging and recycling. 

So, choose one or the other. Corrugated packaging is totally recyclable, and provided you use eco-friendly links and tape, you’ll be able to create a sustainable solution. 

Less Virgin Pulp 

You want to make sure that you use virgin pulp less. Virgin pulp is done by cutting new trees down. This is actually not good for packaging and ends up creating a problem down the line. Packaging materials that come from recycled materials is actually way better. Try to go for these, as they can offer a better result. 

Avoid the Instances of Over Packaging 

You want to make sure that you don’t put too much in a bag. This is during the manufacturing, or even the retail step. There are tons of touch points, and you want to make sure that you don’t have too much in a container. 

You should make sure that if you’re going to put multiple things together they won’t be messed up by doing so. Be mindful of the types of packaging that you offer, and from there, create sustainable, easy solutions that’ll impact every aspect that you have.

Try this, and you’ll see great results in the packaging that you have to create a sustainable, better future. n

The Benefits of Recycled Packaging 

When you’re trying to get more customers, your packaging might be what’s holding you back. With over 70% of consumers choosing to be more eco-friendly and sustainable, if you’re a company that isn’t, it’s going to damage you.

Even “recycled” plastics may also not be recycled. They tend to lead more to landfills than to a recycling plant.

That’s why sustainable packaging that’s recyclable might be the answer to look into. 

The Benefits for the environment 

For a lot of people, packaging is crucial for protection, information displaying, and boosting your marketing.

But one conventional approach that packaging offers has also been a problem. The environmental crises have started to happen, due to the onslaught of single-use plastics, along with non-recycled types of materials.  They’ve led to landfills that are overflowing, waters that get polluted, and ecosystems that harm people.

Many consumers do understand that which is why over 80% of them actually think that these retailers will curb this plastic packaging.

What’s your alternative though? Recyclable packaging will boost the image of the brand, and bolster sales too. 

The Best Packaging: corrugated board 

Corrugated board or cardboard is considered one of the best types of packaging, not just for protection, but also on a sustainability level. 

Many corrugated boards have two types of outer layers, known as linerboard.  Then in the middle, is fluting. Fluting offers durability and is good for protecting products when they’re shipped out. 

It’s one of the best and most popular types of packaging and is used to transit items across many distances. 

Corrugated also is much more renewable, so it’s far less harmful to the world around you than plastics and other packaging. 

The Benefits of Corrugated Packaging 

There are a few benefits that come with corrugated packaging.

The first is that it does reduce waste. This is due to it being customizable, so that the material waste is eliminated. its’ formatted so that it fits around products snugly and reduces this material and interior packaging that’s used.  This is good for eliminating packaging peanuts.

Corrugated also doesn’t minimize the upfront waste, but it also reduces the material wasting that happens after you’ve shipped out something.  Corrugated is very recycled, especially compared to plastics.  Many times, a lot of it is disposed of as a residue, especially when you use this.  recycled corrugated material is better, and it reduces the energy within incinerators and waste.

It also is good for resources and energy conservation. Many recycled packaging options don’t just result in less waste transported to landfills, but it also provides a better way to conserve resources and energy. Due to the fact that corrugated is very recyclable, it’s made primarily with materials that are reused, creating more powerful results than if you just used other types of options. 

Because of the low amounts of recyclability, a lot of plastic packaging is virgin. Virgin packaging is not good for the environment, especially since many times virgin packaging is discarded into the oceans and landfills.  You also need to use more energy to build and craft new plastics.  Did you know that plastic is responsible for 3% of the total energy consumption within the US? This is actually double what the aviation industry does, so it’s important for a lot of people to look at this.

Corrugated paperboard does use energy, but it’s usually about a third of this, and a lot of times there’s far less virgin packaging with that regard.

Keep this in mind and choose the right packaging that best fits your needs. 

Packaging Stationery Products 

Stationery is something that’s very interesting, because in order to do well with this, you want to make sure that you humanize it. 

Thank-you letters and notes are good, and stationery is something that’s become quite unique for a lot of companies. 

With the pandemic making human interaction a mess, you want to make sure that you let people know that you’re happy to give them something or thanking them for the purchase. 

Here are some stationery packaging designs that are good and will bring smiles to the faces of customers. 

Crane 

Crisp and clean paper is something that you can’t compete with.

Paper quality along with the messages are a driving force to bring about the best experience that recipients can have.  This gives thought, care, and helps with message crafting. 

Crane is unique because they offer an intimacy that you get from their physical messages, and this is especially true during a very technologically-advanced sort of time. 

They’ve changed the packaging, providing a rigid box that will protect these items, and also looks good on shelves in office stores and spaces.  They also use engravings, along with some secondary colors to provide warmth, along with a minimalistic look.

It is great too, because you can use this, and it’s different from generic paper. 

New Zealand Public Service Association 

The New Zealand PSA is something that’s interesting because it’s stationery that actually targets intriguing cases and provides a cause and means for people to support. 

This packaging and stationery is targeted to discuss the pay gap between genders, a problem in New Zealand and other places. 

They use a white, soft pink, along with a copper that’s used to push out the gender norms which are outdated, further reminding people of the ongoing issue of pay imbalance between women and men. 

Furthermore, they utilize customized inserts in order to show that women get pushed into a mold, one which society creates for them.  This packaging provides awareness to issues, and also allows for empowerment, and push towards better pay. 

Louise Fili Brilliant 

This is a unique type of packaging, especially since it’s for pencils, used for creativity.  They’re made for adults, and it gives them a chance to write and tap into those creative needs that they have. 

They use a printed rigid box, which gives them protection and storage that can’t be beaten. 

This packaging further provides a delightful look, and it gives a more vintage sort of look with different patterns, fonts, colors, and even hints of some shine in order to provide a complement to more metallic sorts of pencils. 

While colored pencils have been something that children use a lot, these are good for adults to harness their creativity, and imagination. 

Handmade Memories 

This is a packaging of stationary that MH Studios has made and is made to bring about the importance of care in messages that are personalized. 

The brand is further signified through different primary colors including cream, lavender, and the like, in order to provide more refined and modest types of composition. The golden logo that’s there adds to the premium experience. 

They use a customized tray and sleeve type of box for this, because it lets users easily access these products from the desks, shelves, and the like, while also offering protection to integrity and quality of each of the contents. 

Further, there’s a ribbon within this, and it allows for a variety of different selections of sheets, so you can get them out without wrinkling them.

The packaging was made to be thought-out, as a memento to make it a unique experience. 

Balancing stability with Trends in Packaging 

Stability is the main focus of many brands and converters.  In fact, it’s actually one of the biggest priorities today.  Trends that do conflict with these, especially when you’re dealing with customers who pay attention to this. Building sustainability is the future, and here, we’ll talk about why this is at the front of everything. 

The Landscape of Trends 

As we start to move forward into later 2023, even 2024, we have to look at the current trends, including what’s becoming more easily accessible to people.

One of those things is sustainability, as this is starting to become more important. Lots of customers want more effective resources, and don’t want food to be wasted or spoiled. Customers are also more in tune with the environment than they were before. 

Regulations are starting to be implemented in order to commit to the goals of sustainability, which have since become more aggressive. 

All of this is happening near the packaging levels and spheres, which is why a lot are paying attention. 

Did you know that packaging waste accounts for about 10% of the carbon footprint in total?

The one catch 22 that a lot of people struggle with however, is that despite their efforts to prevent waste from being made, they end up creating more and more waste.

One example of this is in the realm of ecommerce.  With more and more people getting boxes, and more packaging used for these items, and more liners in place, especially for safety concerns, this can actually create more excess. This is something that customers have to struggle with too, since they want to support their favorite companies as they try to scramble and navigate this problem. 

There are a few trends to consider, which we’ll mention below. 

First, is health along with wellness. A lot of people are now more focused on general wellness and health, and on their habits, especially dietary, social, and even financial. They spend money on self-care items to help. 

Another trend is urbanization and convenience. People want things that fit into the lifestyles that they have. Many are busy, so they want packaging that’s easy, so they’re not sitting there fighting with wrap rage just to get their coffee started in the morning.

More as well are becoming aware of the type of hygiene and care they have, which means that they want packaging that’s safe and traceable. They want to know exactly where the product originates from, and also where it’s being protected and secured. 

Finally, many customers crave individualization. This means more and more SKUS in their business, and also more ways to make it personalized for the customers. 

How Digitalization has Helped a

 A lot of new and better technologies that boost the interactions of customers have helped with engagement, and also increase the data along with connectivity.

Some have moved towards digital solutions for their packaging in order to reduce waste.

But how? Well, let’s look at ecommerce. With the sales rising, and more and more wanting goods to come to them faster, people want to make sure that they have tools which are sustainable. A lot of digital items also are great for collecting waste, and also are good as well to sort out different recyclables, thereby closing out the loops. 

This allows for the resources used within the past to be put back, and also utilized in further production activities. 

These trends in packaging have offered more ways to be efficient, to minimize waste, and also to focus on the reusing and recycling of materials, benefiting everyone, especially the customer, in the process. 

Custom Poly Bags 

Poly bags are ideal for securing your products, the shipments, and are good for branding. Plus, they’re totally recyclable. 

Most guidelines form amazon state specifically that ply bags are good for packaging different products with a large scent, any liquids, or other products that might destroy or spill onto these shipped types of packaging.

Here, we have a screenshot of the different types of poly bag packaging that’s used. 

Poly Units 

Poly units that protect the requirements for most packaging need to have the following: 

  • A five inch opening or greater, especially measured when it’s flat.  If this is there, you need to make sure that there is a label on this to tell people about suffocation. A failure to have this there will cause the items to be pre bagged 
  • The warning needs to be placed in a location that’s easy to see, and a size font that’s legible on the bag 
  • The thickness needs to be at least 1.5 mil for most bags 
  • It must be seen through 
  • The bag needs a barcode that’s scannable in the bag, or have an ASIN or X00 on the outer part of the bag 
  • It must be totally sealed 
  • It must not stick out more than three inches past the product dimensions 

Scented items such as incense, candles, or even bully sticks that dogs can chew on, must be bagged and sealed to prevent that scent from being absorbed into different products 

All of the poly bags that are greater than five inches wide need to be used for different packaging and must have a suffocation warning on them. This is because it provides sellers with everything that they must do. 

Custom printing does need to have this warning, unless the person supplying this wants to have a generic warning about suffocation 

Also bear in mind that there are different font sizes to be used.  Some bags have even been sent to the business back from the FBA places as they didn’t follow the guidelines for the packaging. 

We also recommend that you add branding or logo to this. Printing one’s info for contacting is a good way to give customers every chance they can get to find out where their products are coming from. 

Many other kinds of prints are usually recommended for printing these packaging products directly from amazon. For electronics and other sensitive products, you might want to have a printed static shield bag to keep the statistic from getting to the product, and the bag printing tells the customers about said product. 

These minimums are important, as without them, they can cause you to waste money, especially after sending it back.  For best results, always make sure that the product follows these guidelines before you send it out, in order to get the best results from the product that you can.

With that said, talk to the supplier to find out about all of the right types of poly bags to do, along with fast turn times, minimums that are low, and also some of the other cool aspects that printed poly types of bags are used with retail and amazon packaging.

To get this, you just need to talk to a supplier to discuss the size of the bag, and the thickness that comes with it, along with desired artwork.  You get the minimums, the lead times, and the like, with most of these being shipped within 3 weeks or less.  Plus, you can also get some of these orders with free shipping if you buy in bulk.