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When you have to choose packaging for your orders, there are many options to consider, especially if you prioritize a green and sustainable solution.
Many aspects of packaging go beyond just protecting your goods.
For example, the packaging can also serve as a communication channel for your brand.
It can be a bit of a jungle to keep track of the wide range of options.
Here, we offer our most valuable advice on sustainable considerations to help you contribute to the protection of our environment.
Why is eco-friendly packaging important?
Packaging has a significant function in ensuring that products reach their destination in optimal condition while also contributing to efficiency in transport, distribution, handling, and sales.
Nevertheless, it’s important to be aware that the environmental impact can vary, depending on the chosen packaging.
Excessive or environmentally harmful use of packaging not only negatively affects your costs, but can also have a damaging impact on your company’s carbon footprint and reputation.
Therefore, choosing eco-friendly packaging can actually improve the visibility and sales of your business.
Use recycled materials for packaging
Most environmentally friendly packaging products are at least as effective as the traditional ones, so you can confidently choose the sustainable solution and still secure your shipments in the same way!
Although the best practice would obviously be to avoid plastic altogether and instead use paper tape and paper filler, there might still be situations where bubble wrap is the best solution, for instance, when shipping fragile porcelain.
In such cases, you can consider choosing a recycled product to maintain your environmental efforts and keep your green points on the account.
There are many options to purchase more sustainable forms of packaging. Here, we’ve borrowed an example from Jakodan.
For example, use paper as a filler:
Is your packaging FSC-certified?
When considering your choice of packaging, you can also think about where the materials used come from.
This step in your sustainable practice can have a significant impact on the environment and the preservation of our forests. If you see an FSC label on the packaging, you can be sure that the wood comes from a responsible source and that the forests are managed with sustainability as a top priority.
This means that no more wood is harvested than can be replanted, and strict standards for sustainable forestry are adhered to.
FSC certification takes into account both environmental and human needs and allows you to make an informed choice that helps preserve our forests and protect the environment.
Next time you buy packaging, look for this meaningful logo.
Strengthen your brand with packaging
Colorful packaging is often an easy solution to express who you are as a company and to differentiate yourselves slightly from all the other packages on the shelf in the package store, making it a bit more exclusive.
However, it’s important to note that shipping bags in glaring colors, such as red plastic, can have a significantly larger environmental impact than more natural color choices due to their higher resource consumption.
For instance, you can make your customer aware that the box with the usual brown color is sustainable, thereby creating value for customers who appreciate this.
The appearance and sustainable initiatives that your company uses are reflected in your brand.
For example, if you sell organic products, sustainable packaging can help strengthen your brand and express your CSR policy (Corporate Social Responsibility), which is the societal responsibility your company takes in terms of the environment, social conditions, and economy.
Sustainable Wrapping
Do you offer your customers the option to purchase wrapping for the items they order?
It’s also important to note that there are products with colors made from recycled materials, which are not only eco-friendly but can also add value to your business.
A good example of this is Jakodan’s tape, which is produced by recycling plastic bottles.
This demonstrates your company’s commitment to using recycled materials and sustainable methods, which can appeal to environmentally conscious customers.
At the same time, it can also contribute to increased visibility and sales for your business, as more consumers today prioritize sustainability in their purchasing decisions.
This initiative not only helps reduce the use of new plastic but also contributes to maintaining a cycle of recycled materials, which is crucial for achieving a more sustainable future.
Extended Product Responsibility: Packaging Rules
Extended producer responsibility is a pivotal component of the EU Commission’s update to the packaging directive.
It focuses on our collective obligation to protect the environment and preserve nature by reducing material consumption and increasing recycling.
This responsibility means that companies assume the consequences of pollution associated with their products. The result is incentives to establish effective waste systems that prioritize reuse and recycling.
This not only benefits the environment but also reduces costs, as the packaging becomes more environmentally and user-friendly.
It’s crucial to understand that the producer’s responsibility falls on the entity introducing the product to the market, and not necessarily the one physically producing the packaging.
The producer’s responsibility is linked to the party that brings a product to the market.
In other words, it’s the users of the packaging that bear the responsibility.
This means that it’s not the company that physically manufactures the responsible packaging, but rather the party that uses the packaging.
Save on Paper: Offer a Return Portal
Do you also include the invoice, return slip, and return label for the customer?
If you want to implement more environmentally friendly practices in your business, consider refraining from including these documents in your orders.
For customers needing to return goods, you can set up an online return portal where they can download and print return slips and return labels as required.
This ensures only the necessary material is printed.
This approach will not only have a positive environmental impact, but it can also have financial benefits.
Paperless Customs
Do you need to send a proforma invoice and other product details to customs authorities outside the EU?
More and more carriers offer the option to go paperless, meaning all relevant documents are sent electronically.
You save both the environment from the paper, and you get faster customs processing, as it can start as soon as they receive the information electronically, not when the package arrives.
Smart, right?
At Shipmondo, for instance, you can send paperless with carriers such as UPS, FedEx, DHL Express, and GEODIS.
Greener packages
The green transition is more relevant than ever. Our environmental footprint is increasing, and there is a more significant need to think sustainably.
There are many ways a business can become more eco-friendly, and one of them is an increased focus on greener package delivery.
If you want to show consideration for the environment, you can now send greener packages with PostNord, DHL Freight, and UPS through your own shipping agreements on Shipmondo.
You can also send greener packages with PostNord Denmark on Shipmondo’s agreement.
You can choose between services like Pakke med omtanke, Skicka Grönt, GoGreen Plus, or CO2 neutral when you book your shipment through Shipmondo.
This way, you can support projects that offset your shipments’ environmental impact.
