In today’s environmentally-conscious world, if your business sells physical products to consumers, you should care about sustainable packaging. Your packaging can play a part so that there is less of a negative impact on the environment. This kind of packaging is sometimes referred to as green packaging.

Since entering the 21st century, these environmental ideals have grown tremendously. The driving force behind this are elements such as government policies, public perception, retailer requirements and economic pressure. Let’s take a closer look at some tips for sustainable packaging design.

1. Assess Every Part Of Your package

Take a look at your package and evaluate it to see if there is any way to use less material, but obviously not at the expense of the product’s integrity. Sometimes, you can find ways of using a different material altogether which has less of an impact on the environment. There could be small changes such as using less paper, which means less trees are used. Innovative companies are always looking for ways to change caps, labels and containers, amongst other things, to have a positive effect all around.

2. Think About New Ways For Distribution Packaging

The latest technology allow packagers to use less material in their packaging method to create shelf-ready packaging. For example, a company could switch from using corrugated cases for packing natural spring water bottles, but instead, use shrink-pack technology, completely eliminating the use of corrugated trays. The result is a more attractive product packaging that uses less material and is easier to dispose of. There are machines that can now be used to optimize the use of stretch wrap film.

3. Consider How To Make Packaging Reusable

By making packaging reusable, it also helps your bottom dollar. It is an effective way to manage your costs. Reusable packaging can also be a space saver. The warehouse does not have to have huge spaces set aside for packaging since it is being reused. The number of times you need to stock up is dramatically reduced. It can also reduce the amount of labour needed in the warehouse. Not only will reusable packaging benefit your business and help the environment, it can do wonders for your corporate image.

4. Consider Modifying Your Product

It may be possible to modify your product so that its efficacy or integrity is not affected. One very good example is household cleaning products. Some of these have become more concentrated so that less water is used and therefore less water is shipped. This also means that consumer packaged goods for these products are changed into smaller ones. This is a significant change for the better.

General Mills changed their Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper noodles resulting in the saving of 890,000 pounds of paper fiber a year. Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 11% and 500 trucks on the road for the year were done away with. This is huge, since one change brought about a positive domino effect, and that’s just from one company.

Making product packaging recyclable helps to preserve and reduce the use of things like water and energy. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This means that packaging materials are not only being reduced, but it takes cars off the streets. These things can be accurately measured, so when one company can save so much, imagine this from a global point of view.