Eco-Friendly Packaging: Why It Matters to Your Brand

The focus on planet-friendly packaging is even more critical as remote workforces require companies to drop ship vs. bulk ship. The shift to eco-friendly started with products–apparel, beauty, household items–and now, the packaging and shipping materials for those products are of equal importance.

Research from the EPA indicates that in 2018 alone, there were over 14 million tons of plastic packaging and containers produced. With so many sustainable packaging options, it is time for your company to make the eco-friendly switch. Not only will this change help preserve the planet's resources, but it will also save your company money.

Learn more about eco-friendly packaging options and how your company can seamlessly make the switch.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

One of the major benefits of eco-friendly packaging is the reduction of your carbon footprint. The use of recycled materials in your packaging eliminates the need to consume unnecessary resources.

While you can only recycle certain materials so many times, sustainable packaging is compostable. This means that it can break down into the earth's soil and create resources in the future. The idea is to use material that is both recyclable and, ultimately, compostable.

As humans, many of our activities increase greenhouse gasses that affect our environment, such as transportation, fuel, and CO2 emissions, just to name a few.

To produce packaging, you must extract materials, manufacture them and transport them. Each of these steps releases greenhouse gases. Ensure the packaging has a long lifecycle to help justify the energy needed to produce it.

With eco-friendly packaging, you can reduce carbon emissions and, at the same time, endow your sustainable materials with a longer, less wasteful life cycle.

Expand Your Customer Base

Consumers are becoming more conscious about where their products come from. Packaging is no exception to this rule.

There is a steady rise in the demand for eco-friendly products and with that, comes a larger customer base. If you continue to use materials that are wasteful and contain toxins, you are likely to lose existing and potential new customers.

With more awareness than ever about the state of our environment, customers look to companies that align with their values.

Create Strong Branding Message

One of the benefits of eco-friendly packaging is that you can make sustainability a part of your company’s brand ethos, to attract the right clientele that shares your values.

In short, eco-friendly packaging = eco-conscious customers.

Sustainable packaging also gives you an opportunity to educate your customers. Talk about how and why your packaging is sustainable and eco-friendly. Customers enjoy this type of transparency, and it can help you connect with them.

You can offer your packaging as eco-friendly gifts, encourage customers to repurpose the packaging, or incorporate marketing messages into the packaging itself.

Avoid Over-Packaging

Eco-friendly packaging not only uses more sustainable materials, but you don't need as much of it.

Compostable packaging is lighter and requires less space during transit. It folds without added tape or glue and is easy to dispose of. This makes your packing and shipping process much more efficient and much less wasteful.

Benefit From Toxins/Allergen-Free Materials

You might be surprised to know that many traditional packaging materials contain toxins. They are made from synthetic materials full of harmful chemicals. Not only are they harmful to the consumer, but also to those manufacturing the packaging.

Biodegradable packaging, by contrast, is free from allergens and toxins, and uses much safer materials. You can add this to your company’s overall mission. Ensuring your customers know that you value their health is a surefire way to create a loyal customer.

Many of the same machines used in traditional packaging are also used in compostable packaging, making the transition to sustainability smoother and easier for many businesses.

Reduce Usage of Plastic

One of the most harmful materials that are commonly used for traditional packaging is plastic. Producing plastic packaging uses a lot of energy, and the packaging itself is extremely difficult to dispose of. Certain plastic items can take up to 500 years to decompose.

This creates a major problem in landfills and a massive build-up of waste that often becomes clogged in rivers and oceans after only one use.

Green packaging takes much less time to decompose and is not harmful to the environment. It also reduces the need for plastic.

If you're looking for environmentally friendly packaging materials for your business, Swagger can help you attain sustainability and maintain style.

Create a Positive Impact on the Planet

Eco-friendly packaging materials have a positive impact on the planet.

Materials like Styrofoam, metals, and plastic are non-biodegradable. These materials will not break down to enrich the earth's soil or help cultivate new resources. They cause environmental issues like rising temperatures, polluted waters, and animal extinction.

To make a long-term positive impact on the environment, changes must be made. Even a switch to eco-friendly packaging might seem like a small gesture, but it can have a huge impact.

Making the Switch to Eco-Friendly Packaging

Eco-friendly packaging is a great way to help your company and help conserve the planet's resources. By switching to sustainable packaging, you can reduce your carbon footprint, expand your customer base, and avoid overpacking, toxins, allergens, and the use of plastic. These efforts have a positive impact on our planet, and that's the most important goal of all. Let’s chat about eco-friendly packaging for your sustainable client gifts and new hire kits. Fill out this short form: Let’s Do This!