How To Make Your Packaging More Eco-Friendly?

Khushboo parekh
5 min readDec 14, 2020

According to a study made by Ellen MacArthur Foundation: By 2050, the quantity of plastic in the water bodies across the world will weigh more than the fishes! This is disturbing and the most unflattering reflection of the collective cruelty of humanity! India stands 12th among the various countries responsible for dumping huge chunks of plastics into the oceans. The fact that we have remained so ignorant towards our environment for centuries is astounding and shameful. While we still have time, let’s reverse the adverse effects of plastic pollution and make eco-friendly packaging more conducive and wide-spread.

Before diving deep into different ways in which we can make eco-friendly packaging materials, let me give you practical reasons why you must opt for eco-friendly packaging solutions in the first place. Aside from the obvious fact of making more conscious choices when it comes to the world at large, eco-friendly packaging ideas can benefit your business in the following ways:

Eco-friendly packaging boxes help create a better brand image

Packaging is a huge part of your brand and the kind of material that you use for your product packaging convey your values to your consumers. Most people are hyper-aware of the impact of their personal choices and by providing them eco-friendly packaging, you give the chance to buy your products guilt-free.

Eco-friendly packaging solutions are versatile

When compared to traditional packaging, eco-friendly packaging materials are far more versatile as they can be re-used and recycled in multiple ways. There are no harmful repercussions as eco-friendly materials can easily be moulded into different forms and designs.
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Eco-friendly packaging materials can help you save money

As the packaging material is bio-degradable, disposing of any waste is very easy with the help of Paper shredders and Industrial shredders. Additionally, as these raw materials weigh less, the shipping charges to transport these materials is way lesser than the traditional packaging materials.

Eco-friendly packaging helps you create a stronger customer base

Especially after the year 2020, more people want to engage themselves in environment-friendly products. When you consciously decide to switch to using eco-friendly packaging materials, you attract people who are committed to similar causes.

It makes more sense to use eco-friendly packaging as it is not just great for the environment, but also your company. In any case, there is a probability that the toxic and non-biodegradable packaging materials may get banned by the Government in the foreseeable future. So, before you compulsively have to transform your packaging, take those tiny steps right now to avoid any loss in the future. It serves everyone well when you opt for eco-friendly packaging solutions. Let us now consider the different ways in which you can make your packaging more eco-friendly:

Choose the right packaging material

Choosing the right packaging material is the most obvious first step when switching to eco-friendly product packaging. There are so many alternatives to plastic packaging and becoming aware of these materials will help you in making a more informed decision when it comes to your packaging needs. The various eco-friendly materials that you can use for your products are:

  • Paper and cardboard: As we already know, these materials can be recycled and reused multiple times.
  • Biodegradable plastic: This plastic decomposes when exposed to sunlight.
  • Material made from corn starch, mushroom, or seaweed: These materials are ideal for food packaging.
  • Biodegradable bubble wrap: It is made from recycled polythene, and it is eco-friendly too!

Make sure that the size of your packaging box is right

Sometimes, we miss the little details while chasing the big goals! Choosing the right size of the box will help you reduce your packaging as well as the transportation charges. Additionally, it will also help you keep your goods intact and reduce the material used for inner packaging. The right box size is aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, and eco-friendly too!

Assess the kind of product container you are using for your products

You must provide your customers with containers that can be reused or recycled multiple times. For instance, you can switch from plastic containers to glass. Having a good quality packaging design attracts your customers to reuse your containers. In this case, you promote minimalism too, which is both eco-friendly and cool!

Recycle whenever you can

Reusing the outer boxes and inner packaging materials as and when you can, will help you reduce your packaging expenses and it will reduce wastage! Additionally, you can also re-design or find ways to make your packaging box sturdier and more sustainable. This is a great way to decompose less waste on the planet.

Make your over-all packaging more eco-friendly

The little things when done consistently make a huge difference. The packaging isn’t just about the outer boxes but also the inner material used to wrap the products as well as the tape used to bind the packaging box! For instance, you can use biodegradable bubble wrap for your inner packaging and plant-based packing tape for your packages. For the sake of your labels, you can use recycled shipping labels. Everything that we use in our packaging must be chosen consciously keeping in mind the impact our actions can have on the environment.

Imagine the chunks of wastage you can avoid by making these little changes! Although it may look small for a day, all of these little shifts can make a huge difference over a few years.

So, to conclude I’d say eco-friendly packaging is not just about being trendy or cool, but the need of the hour. We must take a hard look at our actions and their implications and make the right choices. It is our moral responsibility to give back to the community and switching to eco-friendly packaging solutions is not just cost-effective, but more humane.

Every small shift we make today can help us avoid the catastrophe that our future generations could face due to our ignorance and sleep-walking. So, I encourage everyone to become more aware and switch to eco-friendly packaging and save the planet!

Thank you for reading and if you liked this article, give it a like, share it with your friends, and go to our blog section to read more on similar topics!

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