These days, you have a lot of materials to choose from when it comes to recyclable packaging. These materials can be incorporated into various parts of packaging, including mailers, filler material, and labels.
When your packaging is made from any of the materials below, you can keep it from going into the garbage and being wasted.
Cardboard
The most eco-friendly packaging material is paper, or, in this case, cardboard. Corrugated cardboard is designed to be more durable and lighter, making it the ideal packaging option for various products.
Cardboard also lends itself well to creative packaging. This gives you an opportunity to create packages that are interesting and can even be used for other purposes after the product is removed. For instance, one brand uses a box that doubles as a cat toy, complete with holes and a ball for the pet to bat around. There are other creative options to consider depending on what your product is.
Compostable Packaging Peanuts
Many people dread opening a package filled with Styrofoam because there is no answer as to what to do with all the waste. The Styrofoam peanuts take millions of years to break down. This means they are just taking up space in landfills and are not going anywhere anytime soon.
These days, you can to use completely compostable. These peanuts are made from nontoxic natural items such as wheat or cornstarch. The packing material breaks down from water and natural elements quickly. These biodegradable packing products also take much less time to break down and decompose. This means you have less waste filling the landfills and polluting natural resources.
Remember that when you use these or other environmentally friendly packing products, you should advertise it on your package as well. People are willing to pay more for products that are eco-conscious.
Compostable Mailers
With smaller products, you might consider using compostable mailers for packaging. These can be compostable or 100% recyclable at the curb, depending on what you opt for with your brand and products. These eco-friendly mailers can be made with your brand’s logo or colors to help further your marketing goals.
Recyclable Labels
Your labels are a great spot to use eco-friendly material. Whether you need custom-printed labels or shipping labels, you can use recyclable materials that won’t compromise form for function.
Some examples of this type of reusable materials could include:
- Hemp labels are made from half post-consumer waste and half from hemp.
- Biostone labels are made from stone and water resistant. These labels are highly durable.
- Kraft labels are created to blend into the brown of many cardboard boxes.
Mushroom Packaging
Provide just as much protective plastic packaging when you use mushroom packaging. Mushroom packaging, also called mycelium, is 100% compostable and 100% biodegradable. You can grow this packaging material in moldable shapes in just a week.
This recyclable material uses just a tenth of the resources that plastic foam uses and decomposes much faster. It’s also highly durable, so it’s the ideal sustainable packaging for fragile items like bottles and jars.
The Bottom Line
With the variety of sustainable packaging materials available today, there’s no reason to continue using traditional plastic-based packaging. Using sustainable materials in product packaging not only reduces your carbon footprint but also helps improve your brand’s reputation among consumers.
