With more and more of us ordering products online, the packaging is becoming big news. Both from a shipping (carbon footprint) perspective, and also how we package up those goods in the first place.
So how can we be more sustainable in our green packaging strategy? If you provide services that involves packaging, or even if you only send parcels at Christmas, check out our top tips, and remember that adopting just one of these will make a difference in the long run.
Customers are much more savvy about what they receive and opening a parcel to find a sea of plastic is just plain wrong.
GREEN PACKAGING – SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
Consider what materials you are using to package up your goods – if they’re single-use you can choose materials that can be easily recycled, it makes a big difference to how much packaging ends up in a landfill. Although bubble wrap is fun, and we appreciate the giant rolls of it as much as the next person.
Can you reuse old packaging? Better yet is there a greener alternative like paper? Something like MastaMAZINGer’In Loose-Fill 100% Recycled can work well too!
BOX SIZE
If the boxes you use are too big not only are you having to spend more filling the ‘dead air’ (the space around the item inside the bigger box) the fewer boxes you can fit on a delivery run.
Having to make multiple deliveries is not great for your carbon footprint (not to mention fuel costs!). Try to pack smaller items together, or see what you might be posting to the same place over the next week, can they wait and all go together in one box?
DELIVERIES
How many times do you make deliveries? Sometimes your customer will need a product the next day (or even same day!) – but for non-essential items ask if your customers would like a delivery on eco drive day.
This is when you pack up the van and do one run with a full load (maybe once a week) rather than multiple ones with half loads.
REUSE, NOT RECYCLE
It’s great that many of us are conscientious with putting paper and cardboard in the recycling bin, but what about reusing the box that your latest delivery came in? Parcels and boxes can be reused by adding a (recycled) label over the address panel.
Or slit the box and tape it back together inside out – simple!
Finally, it’s worth noting that moving to a greener packaging strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s only recently that we’ve become more aware of the problems of plastic use, and you can’t expect to become green overnight,
The small changes opting for green packaging will benefit the environment, its all about baby steps!