5 Eco-Friendly Packaging Tips
There is always time to look into the future and the health of the world is one that has become more prominent over recent years. Customers have developed more awareness for the products they purchase as well as the baggage that comes with it, nothing about the item but we mean the literal packaging!
Earth day 2023 has already presented itself, but in spirit, we have some tips/advise on the ways you can up your ecological game in time for peak and keep an open mind for the impacting redemption this will make for the environment.
Ship In Bulk
Customers tend to shop online to purchase something for the sake of convenience from their own home, but also a lot of consumers will order products in bulk to stock up and save, diverting from the unnecessary travel, further expenses and especially if it is a product from a brand they know and love.
Companies that promote their sustainable ethics and mission often press for multi-item purchases in order to cut emissions that are wasted towards two orders to the same home within barely a month’s time. A promotional offer or discounted price when purchasing X quantity tend to be the more tempting offers that customers will go for, in most situations realising that this means there will be less waste for the environment as well as cutting costs, they will more than likely stick to the
Sustainable packaging materials
Cut the middle-man packaging, customers don’t need the Russian doll experience. Use effective boxes that can be securely fastened, easily recycled and something that can provide enough protection for transit. Visualize all of the potential factors so there can be certainty that for every order a customer places, this will in the long-term produce less waste.
Common eco-friendly packaging consists of:
- Compostable bags
- Already recycled materials
- Corrugated boxes
It can also mean that your packaging will then go on to be recycled and recreated into another parcel to be used within its next life!
Rewards for returns
We understand the recycled packaging can be perceived as pricey, however, given the impact it will make towards the environment they will soon proof to be extremely helpful towards the eco-system and not only that, but they will become the normal standard for any company and result in a lower price overall.
If you are still uncertain, some companies offer a rewards program for bulk packaging returns. It’ll distinguish the good that they are doing with their help for the environment and not only this but it will guarantee an increase in sales as they will acknowledge that they are dedicating a small detail of their everyday life towards helping the eco-system.
Size matters
Let us explain. The packaging we discussed earlier may be part of the picture, however, managing the size of the packaging can also make a large difference when it concerns to becoming sustainable. We have all had that odd order, items that are as small as the palms of our hands come in boxes that are more than 10 times it’s size, filled with brown paper and left for customers to handle. Not ideal is it?
Predetermining the parcels needed for your items can cut on the amount of effort required for the customer to recycle this at their residence and also put a positive perspective on their delivery experience after receiving their order. More quantity leads to a bigger package size and this counts to supplying more boxes of bound sizes and keeping on top of your stock, for more information about regular stock checks we have a blog here. There’s a point of necessity, so ensure that your pick and pack warehouse is kept in line!
Wholesales & B2B
Sending products to other companies that are in collaboration with yourselves will cut the costs of individual orders being sent out, additionally the effect of having less vehicles on the road will mean less CO2 emissions which is a very large scale of shipments. Encouraging customers to purchase in storefronts or collect after ordering online, pushing them to large wholesale businesses can prove profitable also. Gaining a larger reputation with a range of customers that may not have heard of your brand before being a part of an exclusive company. There are also options for businesses who handle products with expiry dates, offering sustainability and sales past their best before date, used by one of our clients that we supply Shopify fulfilment for!
These are a lot to take on board and consider all at once, so we advise careful decisions to be made before diving into the deep realm of sustainability in order fulfilment. There are always smaller steps to take before the leap and MCF can help with this. We will provide the effort that you wish to take towards a more sustainable business as we have done with our other clients!
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