Introduction
Before we go deep into the topic of eco-friendly packaging ideas, let’s talk about the word “eco-friendly” itself. And I am sure you will find more footprint of the word “eco-friendly”. It sounds like a result of our rising awareness for environmental protection, and it has been such an unfortunate story that led to this change in attitude. Despite all these bad things happening around us – being eco-friendly is what’s trendy now! However, do you know really know what eco-friendly is? Here’s the definition on Wikipedia below,“Environment-friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that claim reduced, minimal, or no harm upon ecosystems or the environment.”(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentally_friendly)The eco-friendly topic was not strange to you and it’s a huge one that can cover every detail of life. Packaging refers to product packaging with less or no harm done to the environment in general but there are various levels when we talk about this term so let me break them down: 1) Eco Friendly – On average, these items have some recycled content which helps out our planet more than what would otherwise happen if they were made from entirely natural materials; 2)Re usage friendly Therefore, eco-friendly packaging solutions have become more crucial than ever. Packaging has played a big part in life after all.
Eco-friendly packaging ideas #1: More than environmental protection
The importance of eco-friendly packaging is more than the reduction of environmental impact.About society and economy
The environment is closely tied with our own culture and economy. If we continue on this path, it will only get worse for both humans as well as natural habitats around the world! It’s time that people took some action – there are so many ways you can help protect Earth without spending money or doing anything too difficult : use reusable shopping bags/boxes at checkout instead of plastic ones; recycle whenever possible; drive less because cars contribute significantly more greenhouse gases than trains do. The business model benefits all involved. Packaged goods companies reduce material costs, gain positive community attention, rebrand themselves as environmentally conscious, and gain actionable data on an emerging subset of their target population. End-users gain the satisfaction of knowing they are minimizing their carbon footprint and introducing their loved ones to best practices. So, being eco-friendly helps with not only environmental protection but the development of society.Business benefits
As one of the key elements in society, business shares the benefits of eco-friendly packaging. By adopting eco-friendly packaging ideas, your business will enjoy benefits like 1. Increased brand vision & identity. Because consumers tend to choose companies and products caring more about the community. 2. Enhanced customer satisfaction with eco-friendly packaging solutions easier to dispose of or recycle. 3. Potential sales growth resulting from increased brand vision, identity, and customer satisfaction. 4. The reduced carbon footprint of your business by eco-friendly packaging solutions. 5. Lower costs to deal with environmental problems by the production in the long run. Now that eco-friendly packaging is so important, what can we do to support it? A simple and easy way. Use eco-friendly products and solutions. However, we probably need to know it first. What options do we have as eco-friendly packaging solutions?Eco-friendly packaging ideas #2: Types of eco-friendly packaging
Generally, there are 2 types of eco-friendly packaging by the ways used. They are (a) recyclable packaging and (b) reusable packaging.Recyclable Packaging
What makes a package recyclable? The materials used to produce your recycling-friendly product must be either compostable or biodegradable. For instance, paper-based packaging is always an excellent choice since it breaks down easily in landfills and has minimal impact on Earth’s natural resources when disposed of improperlyCommon Recyclable Packaging Products
Paper-based packaging
Paper-based packaging is more eco-friendly than other forms of distribution. It’s also easy to recycle if it ends up in a landfill because the raw materials are processed before mass production.The leftover pieces of the main paper material continue their cycle after completing missions in frontline. Scrap Paper is one of many raw materials used for producing products such as fiber-board, papersacks and wrapping paper among others. Moreover, many companies are adopting and developing paper-based bottles as containers for coffee, soft drinks, and other beverages. You can easily find the paper coffee cups when you try to get some coffee in many coffee shops today. At the same time, the usage of paper bags to keep dry foods has become prevalent such as coffee, tea leaves, snack food and nuts, cookies and candy, and spices. Because paper-based materials can keep the freshness of the food by “keeping their breath”. All in all, paper packaging is a wised choice with eco-friendly packaging ideas. It is a competitive alternative over the other packaging solutions. (source: https://primepac.co.uk/food-packaging-market/)Also read Food Packaging Market Insight to know more about the food packaging market. Although paper-based packaging solutions are popular for food packaging today, corrugated cardboard might not good at preserving food. And the other fragile products either. Because the cardboard alone might not offer enough strength. And exposure to moisture and humidity can kill the cardboard. However, thanks to evolving technology, there are still many paper-based options other than corrugated cardboard. Check the paper-based packaging solutions now.
Bio-based Plastics
If the plastics are more attractive to you. The bio-based family in the tribe of plastics is the one with eco-friendly packaging ideas. Bio-based plastics get their names because they are biodegradable. Among the bio Based Plastics Family, PLA (aka polylactic acid) can be one of those most famous members who use raw material from core literature for producing it; typically coming in formulae such as “PLA – made with 100% renewable resources.” The point is that over time this substance will break down into organic compounds. With the eco-friendly feature, PLA has gained popularity in many countries. It is likely to make the new trend of single-use plastic bags. However, there are still issues with bio-based plastics. They could cause environmental impacts from the view of sustainability. Plastics are not likely to cause landfills issues. But with increasing demand, there could potentially be shortages of food crops like corn which are lifesavers for people in some areas given the growing population worldwide and bio-based plastics emerging technology that needs time to figure out how best to handle these problems while also reducing our unnecessary use material-wise.
Reusable Packaging
It is not hard to under the term Reusable Packaging from its literal name. And we can find a lot of reusable packaging around. Also, it highly depends on you to determine whether or not the packaging is reusable. Now let’s take a look at them.Common Reusable Packaging Products
Plastic Packaging
Yes, it is the plastics again. Despite the bad reputation of White Pollution, even ordinary plastic packaging can be eco-friendly. You can easily do it by using plastic packaging with your eco-friendly packaging ideas. For example, avoid damage to the box of your new gadgets or the bags of your new clothes. Because they can be containers and protection for some other stuff. Especially when you need to send them out or bring them during vacations. These easy and handy steps are going to generate excellent eco-friendly results. Since both re-manufacturing, the plastic products and sending the damaged ones are costly to the environment. Sometimes even more than the cost to produce the new products. The lack of oil and the landfill just well witness that. And your good deeds of re-using the packaging will largely ease the burden on our environment. Therefore, reusable plastic packaging is also another eco-friendly option. Remember to avoid damaging them and save them for future use next time. Besides, some paper-based packaging solutions are also reusable now thanks to modern technology.What packaging to choose?
Now that we have seen the types of eco-friendly packaging, which one to choose then? We do have some standards to help with your choices.Eco-friendly Packaging Standards
- The packaging is safe for human and the environment throughout its life circle
- The technology or way to produce the packaging is clean and does no harm to human and the environment
- The packaging meets environmental criteria and is affordable by ordinary consumers
Eco-friendly packaging ideas #3: what else to do?
Reduce Packaging
We have discussed before; the abuse of packaging material can cause environmental problems. Even the eco-friendly materials would be harmful to the community if used improperly. Therefore, the demand for packaging is the core of the matter. Here comes another eco-friendly packaging idea then. Reduce unnecessary use and save the material for packaging. Be a participant in the minimal packaging trend. But how to reduce the use of packaging while ensuring the safety of the products? We know it might be difficult for you. No worries. You have got us to help you with it. With in-house knowledge, PrimePac can cater to a diverse global audience. Make use of our network of experienced professionals in the packaging industry here.Conclusion
The time to complete the eco-friendly mission can be long. But we are on our way to implementing eco-friendly packaging ideas. Join us on the ongoing journey by 2 simple actions.- Deal with the packaging in eco-friendly ways after use
English