Any retail business or company that regularly ships devices or materials will greatly benefit from sustainable practices for their shipping and packaging. In fact, your business could be saving money if you’re doing more for the planet. Here are some things to think about as you strive to become more of a sustainable brand:
Minimal packaging
Do you want to do more with less? Minimal packaging can be an option that allows your brand to keep up with demand while using less, so that your company does more for the environment. Lightweight materials designed for reliability in shipping are something that is becoming more popular in many industries.
However, before choosing lightweight materials for your packaging, make sure you have done appropriate testing with ISTA 3a for specific types of devices if you want to be sure they’ll remain functional after shipping.
Alternative packaging
If you want to be sure that you’re doing more for the environment while still showing up with quality packaging, take time to research the latest trends in the world of sustainable packaging. Mushroom packaging is quite popular these days, thanks to the fact that it’s one of the most eco-friendly options out there.
However, other options are popping up on the market, such as seaweed and hemp-based packaging materials, also designed for eco-friendly results. While you’ll need to make sure these products work for whatever you need to ship out, if they do, it can be a game changer as you become a sustainable brand that consumers know is doing things right.
Recyclable options
Talk to an environmental consultant about the options that would work best for your brand. If you don’t want to spend the higher price on new, alternative packaging options that may be costlier than traditional options, consider recycling initiatives to offset the use of more traditional packaging materials.
Reusable packaging is another option, and while it’s an investment, shipping products in reusable packaging can be a great way to practice sustainability and appeal to your audience.
Sustainable printing
Beyond packaging materials, the ink used on packages can also impact the environment. This isn’t a commonly known fact, and many brands are striving for more sustainable policies in their companies. They’re missing out on doing more by looking at the inks used in their products. Popular options include water-based and algae-based inks instead of petroleum-based options, which are commonly used on many packaging boxes and labels.
While most people wouldn’t think as far as the inks used in packaging are concerned, now that you know, it’s something to consider when striving to come up with more sustainable options for your business.
Look at the loop
Here is the thing: you want to be sure that you’re going beyond just choosing sustainable packaging materials. You want to look beyond things like how the materials arrive to you, the inks used in them, and what can be done with the materials once they’re done being used for shipping products.
When you can be sure that the entire circle of production, from start to finish, is centered around sustainability, then you can have peace of mind that your business is doing what it can to take care of the planet. While there may be areas where you are still leaving a carbon footprint, “doing the most” is still doing more than what many brands are doing out there.
In Conclusion
Becoming an environmentally friendly company takes a lot of planning, research, and some investment at times. However, some of the most successful brands care about their values and are implementing policies that lend themselves to a more sustainable impact on the world. From your packaging to the way you ship your products, changing the way that you do things can result in a positive impact on the environment.