10 Tips for Improving Your Sustainable Packaging

Achieving sustainable solutions for packaging does not have to be difficult. Find our 10 easy tips for improving your sustainable packaging and contributing to a healthier, safer environment.

1. Switch to corrugated. Corrugated paper products, most often referred to as cardboard, consist of the most recycled product on the planet. Cardboard boxes and containers are easy to recycle, and are highly reused by business and consumers alike for storing and moving various items.
2. Use high recycled content plastics. Recycled PET (RPET) is a type of plastic made from recycled water bottles, reducing the need to create more new plastic that clogs up landfills and oceans.
3. Choose less bulky cushioning material. By using more efficient materials to keep products safe from damage during shipping, such as less bulky cushioning, corrugated cases can be reduced in size and weight. This helps reduce the use and costs of fuel and energy.
4. Replace clamshells with the H-Loc Trapped Blister. While clamshells utilize all-plastic designs that are unsafe for the environment as well as consumers, the trapped blister consists of mostly recycled corrugate and RPET.
5. Automate packaging operations. Manual packaging tends to overuse materials. Automating the packaging process reduces the consumption of materials and improves production.
6. Use padded mailing bags. Small parts can be packaged in padded mailing bags instead of corrugated boxes to reduce raw materials even more.
7. Use molded fiber wine shippers. Improve packaging by replacing wood or corrugated wine shippers with molded fiber, cutting down on material use, fuel and costs.
8. Switch to recyclable loose fill peanuts. Polystyrene peanuts are commonly used for cushioning and filler in packages, made with plastics better known for Styrofoam packaging. These materials are hard to break down after disposal.
9. Conduct a comprehensive packaging sustainability audit. Understanding the life cycle of your packing products and materials can help improve the packaging process. Get to the root of the problem by performing an audit, and examine a package’s true performance.
10. Conduct a high level packaging design review. Improve packaging design by examining the flaws, benefits, cost factors, efficiency and more.

Contact us today for sustainable packaging options right for your business.