You’ve been hiding under a rock if you haven’t realised the world is facing several major environmental issues. Consumer goods and packaging are contributing to everything from natural resource scarcity to water pollution.
Updating your packaging and products to be more eco-friendly has never been easier, with options and alternatives developing every day. The switch has never been more important with consumers now expecting deadlines from big companies.
Need some proof to back up our claims?
- The yearly amount of plastic waste is enough to circle the globe four times over, with 10 million tonnes ending up in our ocean.
- Cars are often famed as terrible for greenhouse gases, but packaging waste is much worse.
- 74% of consumers are now willing to pay more for eco-friendly products to protect the planet, so make changes to the whole lifecycle, not just your packaging!
- The top 100 most sustainable companies showed a growth of 29% in 2017 in comparison to the 22% of the S&P 500 index.
Promote your pledge:
You can’t assume you customers will know you’ve updated your packaging unless you tell them about it. Product and packaging changes produce great content, from digital campaigns to blogs, since everybody likes to see a bit of eco-positivity on their social media.
Your online and offline presence go hand in hand, so adding recycle signs and providing information on (and in) your boxes can help guide the consumers in the right direction. But, just as important as it is to promote your changes, remember to be humble.
Whilst you may be able to switch your packaging, other elements might be harder, and companies can receive negative feedback because of ‘greenwashing’ (giving the false appearance of being eco-friendly).
Eco-friendly options from Packaging Works:
The first step is to scratch plastic and Styrofoam. Both materials are notorious for their negative impact on the environment, so instead use cardboard, paper, and cardboard-based materials.
The greenest packaging options we offer are square and rectangular custom boxes made from:
- Fibre source: 100% post-consumer recycled waste
- Pulp which is free from bleaching
- Thickness of 2mm or 1.2mm
- The material can be disposed of by recycling, incineration or is biodegradable.
If you would like a cylindrical box, we offer:
- Custom boxes made from totally chlorine free pulpboard.
- Recyclable pulpboard
Our custom box covering materials are:
- Wood-free and acid-free
- Biodegradable and age-resistant
- Made from ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) fibre
- Recyclable and made of sustainable materials.
We even provide vegetable inks for those who are fully committed so when you print your logo on your custom packaging, even this can be more eco-friendly. Although if you do opt for vegetable ink, use it minimally.
If you have any questions regarding our eco-friendly materials or you would like to start your journey to sustainable packaging, email info@packaging-works.co.uk to find out more.
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