Consumption of plastic packaging brings the burden on landfills. According to a study by Oceana, Amazon alone generated 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2019, and the number of air pillows alone can circle the earth 500 times. But that doesn’t mean people will stop consuming, so consumers are looking for more sustainable products to buy, and they have higher requirements for packaging, not just coffee.
Visionary companies have begun to make their packaging more sustainable. This has gradually become an industry standard. However, to ensure that packaging is better for the environment, developing a sustainable packaging strategy seems to be a difficult and complex process.
After all, what is good for the earth is also good for the brand.
What is sustainable packaging？
Sustainable packaging means that every stage of its life cycle has little impact on the environment. To determine whether the packaging is eco-friendly, the packaging manufacturer will conduct a complete life cycle assessment, from the extraction and manufacture of raw materials to distribution, to the use of end consumers, and disposal (or recycling or composting). Life cycle analysis will always estimate the carbon footprint of products throughout their life cycle.
In this article, we summarize how to consider sustainable packaging decisions for your brand. Please continue reading this article to learn how to build sustainable packaging strategies that are most meaningful to your business.
Attach importance to green materials
Choosing eco-friendly packaging materials is the foundation. We offer more options to replace traditional petroleum-based plastics
- Compostable packaging
Compostable packaging materials can naturally decompose the soil, such as PLA. It is extracted from plants such as corn and wheat straw. It can decompose in household compost within 180 days and in commercial compost within 90 days. And will not leave any toxic residue.
- Recyclable packaging
Eco-friendly packaging made of recyclable materials is given a second life. PE / PE film (applicable to store discard recycling plan) and film made of PCR resin. They are not only recyclable but also meet FDA standards and can be in direct contact with food.
The use of recycled materials can reduce the amount of waste in landfills and prevent the pollution of natural resources.
- Kraft paper
Kraft paper packaging is made entirely of wood pulp. And the raw materials and trees are 100% FSC certified. Although the material is simple, we can still customize your kraft paper packaging bag to a certain extent.
And we can do waterproof treatment on the surface of kraft paper to improve its use times. In this way, your bag is both eco-friendly and durable.
Eco-friendly ink & glue
Xiaoyupack is an FSC-certified company. Not only do we choose green materials, but we also use ink from environmentally friendly sources to extract from soybeans and eventually return to the soil. The glue is solvent-free and has no odor. We do this without reducing the quality of the final product.
Sustainable printing
The next step is to choose sustainable printing. Digital printing is our environmental choice.
- Quickly replenish inventory.
Digital printing can realize fast printing and replenishment on time when your inventory is about to reach the bottom. This can reduce the waste of your time and meet the printing of multiple SKUs at one time. The whole ordering process is very simple.
- Reduce waste
The minimum order quantity of digital printing is low. You can print according to the required quantity. Avoid obsolete and waste caused by inventory accumulation.
In addition, unlike gravure printing, digital printing does not require printing plates, so you do not need to pay printing plate fees, and we do not need to pay additional fees for maintaining and repairing printing plates.
When your packaging design needs to be changed, there is no need to create a new printing plate, which saves the material of the printing plate. It’s just as easy to modify on your computer as printing your files.
- Reducing carbon footprint
In digital printing, the ink and glue we use are environmentally friendly. This means that they consume less energy in printing and produce less carbon footprint.
Choose smaller packages
Reducing the packaging materials you use can reduce your carbon footprint. This can not only help you improve sustainability, but also reduce your transportation costs.
If possible, adjust the size and position of the products to see if they are suitable for smaller packaging. Xiaoyupack can provide you with small-size packaging samples.
Seek manufacturing partners with sustainable practices
Before signing an agreement with suppliers, ask them about their manufacturing process. Are sustainable materials used? Do you use eco-friendly processes as much as possible to minimize their carbon footprint? Choose to work with sustainable manufacturers.
Having sustainable packaging will:
- Reduce the carbon footprint of packaging,
- Increase your brand awareness,
- Increased sales,
- Avoid waste and indirectly reduce your packaging costs,
- Improve customer satisfaction and increase customer base.
How can xiaoyupack help you?
With the improvement of the requirements of the times, there are stricter industry standards. Protecting the environment and optimizing nature is a long-term action, so we put forward sustainable packaging.
Have you and your company decided to move to more sustainable packaging to become a more earth-friendly company as a whole? We are happy to help you develop a sustainable packaging strategy suitable for your brand. Developing a sustainable packaging strategy can be complex and requires an in-depth understanding of packaging materials and their potential impact.
We can meet your needs from creative and sustainable packaging concepts to environmentally-friendly transportation solutions for specific industries.
Xiaoyupack is the source of all your environmentally friendly packaging. If you want to buy sustainable packaging or have any questions about our process, please contact us!
