The road to a greener world has not been an easy one, but it can definitely be done. The biggest brand names and companies who are actually making efforts in contributing to a more sustainable world are creating a huge positive influence and impact to the world. One manifestation of this is the radical change in packaging products. Some companies feel that it is a big investment, especially in its initial stages, but there is much that they can benefit from creating environment-friendly packages.
Many big companies like Amazon, has already made huge progress in the aspect of making their packaging more sustainable. Amazon for one, has introduced Frustration Free Packaging. This means plain, consumer-friendly boxes, and saying goodbye to PVC clamshell. Amazon also placed a feedback section to get a customer’s views on the packaging of their purchased products. Customers are even allowed to upload photos and post comments about this aspect of their purchase. This is good, because it will allow retailers to also improve on their end. There is a serious advantage that companies can get if they turn to a greener method of packaging their products. Savings is what it is. There is minimal investment involved and would also be more economical in the long-run.
The Three R’s of Sustainability in Packaging Products
We have heard of the 3 R’s before, and it probably did not make as much impact then as it will now. The 3 R’s of sustainability in packaging products will not only be beneficial for the companies and retailers themselves. It will also benefit consumers, and then the world in general.
Reduce
Reducing basically means that there is a need to focus on using packaging materials that are not only stronger, but also thinner. Paper products would be the best choice, but plastics may also be necessary depending on the type of product that is being packaged. The price of plastic and resin has increased significantly, which has greatly impacted carton sealing tapes, plastic strapping, and flexible packaging. Reducing the use of plastics and non-environment-friendly packaging products has not only been possible because of the green awareness projects of different organizations, but also because, packaging materials have become more costly.
Reuse
There are already a lot of examples of reusable packaging, introduced to consumers. It’s not only limited to specially-coated boxes. The popularity of reusable containers, tote bags, and mailers are widely made available by retailers. It is not only more economical, but it has spurred an interest among consumers to keep and reuse the packaging that comes with the product that they bought. There are even retailers and physical stores that encourage customers to come back and bring their old tote bag for shopping.
Recycle
Recycled content in any product is what’s going to make the road to sustainability a success. Many manufacturers nowadays not only use recycled materials, because they want to contribute to a greener world, but also because it saves them more money. It is a fact that new materials are always going to have an assured price increase, but with the existence of recyclable materials, revenue is going to be higher.