An Entrepreneur's Guide toEco-Friendly Packaging

16 min read

Nije tajna da se naš planet suočava s globalnim problemima poput onečišćenja zraka, klimatske promjene, zagađenje vode, and literal islands of plastic floating in the ocean. Sada, to su loše vijesti.

Dobra je vijest da što više ljudi postaje svjesno pitanja okoliša, perspektive i navike se mijenjaju u pravom smjeru. Najbolje od svega, mnoge su tvrtke počele mijenjati svoju poslovnu strategiju kako bi svoje poslovanje učinile održivijim.

Jedan od najboljih (i najlakše) način da postanete zeleniji posao je prelazak na ekološki prihvatljivu ambalažu. Ne samo da imate priliku smanjiti utjecaj vašeg poslovanja na planet, ali ćete također uživati u drugim pogodnostima koje će unaprijediti vaše poslovanje. Zapravo, people are willing to pay more for products packed in boxes made of sustainable materials. Eco-friendly packages can also significantly improve your brand awareness.

U ovom članku, we will explain the benefits of eco-friendly packaging and provide you with some tips on how to make the switch. Let’s go!

The Problems with Regular Packaging

Conventional packaging that most businesses use is usually made of petroleum-based materials. Petroleum-based packaging, like plastic, releases different kinds of toxins into the atmosphere and water, especially if it is heated up.

Nažalost, burning plastic packaging, like Styrofoam, is common in many parts of the world and releases toxins into the atmosphere and groundwater. Even the ash from burned plastic contaminates water systems and soils.

As you can probably guess, plastic waste impacts our society and environment in many ways. Air and water pollution are well-known problems. Nažalost, one-in-four people do not have access to safe drinking water, partly because of poor plastic waste management. Svi se možemo složiti da je to nedopustivo.

Udio stanovništva s pristupom objektima za pitku vodu

Korištenje plastične ambalaže nije obavezno. Ako prijeđete na ekološko pakiranje, pomažete zaštititi kvalitetu vode i zraka za ljude, druge vrste, i buduće generacije. Svi trebamo sudjelovati u pronalaženju rješenja za klimatske promjene - prelazak na čistu ambalažu jedan je korak u pravom smjeru.

Prednosti ekološki prihvatljivog pakiranja

Očito, there are a lot of downsides to petroleum-based packaging. Eco-friendly packaging isn’t just great because it’s not plastic—there are many other benefits! Ali prvo, what even is eco-friendly packaging?

Dobro, any package made of easily recyclable, toxin-free, and allergen-free materials is considered eco-friendly. Drugim riječima, packaging that has a minimal negative impact on natural resources, zajednice, and other species.

When you make the switch to eco-friendly packaging, you can have a sense of pride that you are doing your part to mediate climate change and reduce pollution. Međutim, there are many reasons to switch to eco-friendly packaging. Here are some advantages:

Sustainable Packaging Is Biodegradable

Did you know that a single plastic cup needs 450 years to break down? During that period, it releases toxins into the atmosphere and groundwater. Plus, plastic will just break down into microplastics, which still cause significant environmental damage. Plastic packaging’s advantage is that it lasts forever. Nažalost, that pro creates a lot of cons for our planet.

Sustainable packages can biodegrade a lot quicker than plastic. They are made of natural materials like bamboo, bio-plastic polymers, cardboard, recycled paper, and more—even mushrooms! They do not have a long lifecycle and (mostly) do not release harmful chemicals and toxins into the atmosphere.

Mushroom packaging for Mr Bailey x adidas Originals OZLUCENT sneakers

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gasses, like methane and carbon dioxide, izdaju pojedinci i/ili tvrtke. Tvrtke koje koriste ambalažu od recikliranih materijala ili materijala koji se mogu reciklirati kao što je papir, željezo, ili karton imaju relativno nizak ugljični otisak.

Biorazgradivi materijali općenito nisu štetni za planet i proizvode manje ili nimalo stakleničkih plinova. Ako želite da vaša tvrtka za e-trgovinu bude ugljično neutralna, ekološki prihvatljiva ambalaža pomoći će vam da postignete taj cilj!

Održiva pakiranja lako se recikliraju i ponovno koriste

Ekološki prihvatljivi materijali lako se ponovno koriste, prenamijenjen, i reciklirati. Poduzeća čak mogu ponovno upotrijebiti otpad iz opće poslovne rutine, poput korištenja viška papira za zaštitu lomljivih predmeta umjesto folije s mjehurićima. Tvrtke također mogu postaviti postupak povrata kako bi kupci mogli vratiti ambalažu za ponovnu upotrebu.

Još jedan način da svoje poslovanje učinite zelenijim jest usmjeriti klijente da ponovno koriste ili recikliraju pakete koje šaljete. Možete ih naučiti kako reciklirati ili ponovno upotrijebiti ambalažu nakon što prime svoj proizvod, poput korištenja paketa za pohranu.

Kiehl’s nudi kupcima da recikliraju prazna pakiranja proizvoda u svojim trgovinama kako bi zaradili bodove u svom programu nagrađivanja

Odgovarajuća zaštita proizvoda

Zahvaljujući naprednoj tehnologiji i kreativnim ljudima, poduzetnici sada mogu naručiti veće količine prilagođenih održivih paketa. Vlasnici tvrtki mogu doslovce prilagoditi sve o svom pakiranju s pravim proizvođačem. Dobit ćete potpuno jedinstvene i prilagođene umetke odgovarajuće veličine, poštanski sandučići, poli poštari, kutije za otpremu, kartonske kutije, itd.

Svi ovi oblici pakiranja mogu biti izrađeni od ekološki prihvatljivih materijala i osigurati odgovarajuću zaštitu. Proizvođači mogu razviti različite oblike i veličine za svaki proizvod. S prilagođeno pakiranje, ne biste trebali primati povrate zbog oštećenja tijekom transporta. Prilagodba paketa pomaže vam da pravilno pakirate i otpremite svoje proizvode, a istovremeno smanjujete vaš utjecaj na planet.

Oštećeni proizvod glavni je razlog vraćanja kupljenih proizvoda putem interneta, prema online kupcima diljem svijeta (Izvor: Državnik)

Improvement of Reputation and Brand Awareness

Did you know that 76% of consumers think that brands are more trustworthy if they use high-quality packaging and materials? Shoppers will support businesses like yours that produce products and use packaging that is safe for people, the community, and the planet.

Being eco-friendly can turn customers into repeat buyers loyal to your brand. They will then recommend your business to others, increasing attention and profit. Eco-conscious practices will improve your reputation and boost the sentimental value of your business.

Također, custom sustainable packaging will help you stand out from your competitors. With amazing designs and a mission focused on sustainability, you can ensure a wonderful unboxing experience and make your customers remember you. Plus, they will often publish their unforgettable experience on social media and share the emotions they experienced while opening your product with the rest of the world.

Believe it or not, over 90k people type “unboxing” into YouTube every month. Zapravo, some unboxing videos can get over 10 million views. Unboxing content becomes viral quickly. If your logo is on the box, which it certainly should be, you will get free marketing and attract new customers.

There are all kinds of unboxing videos on YouTube

How Do Entrepreneurs Switch from Regular to Eco-Friendly Packaging?

Becoming a sustainable business is responsible… But it can be demanding. Making an environmentally-conscientious change, like switching to eco-friendly packaging, isn’t that easy. Međutim, with a dose of motivation, it doesn’t have to be that hard. Let’s find out how to take the first step: switching to eco-friendly packaging.

Invest Time and Money in Education

Before making the switch, we recommend investing time (and sometimes money) to educate yourself about sustainable packaging. There’s a lot of peer pressure to switch to environmentally-conscientious practices. Međutim, entrepreneurs need to figure out on their own why they should make the change. Only then can they establish long-term goals based on sustainability.

With some research, you will discover which eco-friendly materials are the best for your business needs, why they are beneficial, how much they will cost, and any other information you need to make the switch.

Collaborate with Packaging Manufacturers

Connecting with sustainable packaging manufacturers can pave the way to switching to eco-friendly packages. A partnership with a sustainable packaging manufacturer will allow you to order large quantities of custom packages at once. Some even have the capacity to customize packaging to fit your products, including custom designs for your store.

Entrepreneurs should first order packaging samples to confirm quality and relevance to their business needs. Most places will send reduced or free samples to help you figure out if the packaging is good for your business. Once you find the best and most affordable packaging, you can start the process of switching over.

Order custom packaging that fits your product to minimize waste

What to Do If I Can’t Switch to Sustainable Packages Completely?

Making changes in the business world always comes with risk. There could be multiple reasons why companies can’t completely switch to eco-friendly packages. Some business owners might find such changes overwhelming, while others believe eco-friendly packages are not the right option for them. We would like to help entrepreneurs and give them an idea of how the transformative process should start.

Start with Small Steps

We understand that some entrepreneurs are not in a position to switch to eco-friendly packages right away. No one says you need to do everything at once. Start with small steps. Na primjer, you can start using eco-friendly materials to create custom inserts. Even something small will reduce the environmental impact of your packaging. Over time, you can slowly switch completely to sustainable packaging.

Educate Your Customers

Također, you can take the opportunity to help educate your customers about environmental issues. Invite your customers to recycle or reuse packaging instead of throwing it in the garbage. Strongly recommend using your boxes for other purposes, like for storage or as a toy. Onuda, you can indirectly reduce the negative impact of packaging.

Half Magic Beauty educates their customers on recycling their product packaging in a social media post

Educate Your Employees

Educating employees involved in the packaging process helps implement more sustainable practices. You need to teach them the best way to pack the products and handle any waste produced during the process. Reducing plastic waste is key to improving our environment.

Customize Your Eco-Friendly Packages

Entrepreneurs can also change the design and quantity of their packages to reduce their environmental impact. Na primjer, if you sell small items, you don’t need gigantic boxes and an overabundance of packing peanuts to get your products to your customers. Umjesto toga, you can customize your packaging and ensure its design fits your product.

You also save money by customizing packaging because smaller packages will certainly cost you less than using consistently large boxes.

Ako vodite trgovinu Ecwid, check out the Arka app in the Ecwid App Market. Arka provides branded and unbranded packaging for ecommerce businesses made from eco-friendly materials. You can start using custom packaging with as little as ten boxes to see if Arka is the right fit for you—and your products.

Examples of eco-friendly packaging by Arka

Focus on Eco-Friendly Shipping

Of your whole production process, focusing on eco-friendly shipping practices will do wonders for the environment. Nažalost, there are not many options for eco-friendly shipping.

One way to improve your shipping process is to ship orders out in bundles (especially easy with smaller packages). That means when a customer purchases multiple products from you, you send all their items in one package. Na primjer, a shopper buys two or three different products a month, and you send all their items as one order at the end of the month.

Međutim, are people willing to wait longer to get their orders? As we said, education is key. Na primjer, you could make videos explaining what bundle shipping is and why their patience helps the planet. Knowledge is everything!

Cost of Eco-Friendly Packages

Most of you are probably wondering whether eco-friendly packaging is more expensive than conventional packaging. The answer to that question might be surprising—no! In the long run, you will actually save money by switching.

If you collaborate with a reputable packaging manufacturer that uses only sustainable materials, you can order packages in bulk. That will automatically reduce the price of your order. S druge strane, if you plan to reuse packages (which is an available option), you won’t have to spend anything on new ones.

Plus, if the package’s customized shape is accurate and small, you will have more space to store orders, whether in your house or a warehouse. You won’t need more space to store orders or unused packaging, reducing rent and shipping costs.

Nažalost, it’s hard to say how much money you will have to spend on each package. It depends on the size and weight of your order, design requirements, packaging material, and quantity. But often, you can actually save money by switching away from plastic.

Na primjer, you may spend around $138 za 100 units of compostable size 7 x 11 bubble mailers. S druge strane, plastic 8 x 11 (almost the same size) bubble bags will cost you oko $215 per 100 units. The difference is significant!

Compostable bubble mailer by Arka

Zamotati

Bez sumnje, switching to eco-friendly packages is highly beneficial. Sustainable packaging is good for the planet, reduces costs, and improves identitet vašeg brenda. In case you currently can’t switch to sustainable materials completely, we advise you to use some of the alternatives mentioned in this article. Svi moramo dati svoj dio u osiguravanju budućnosti bez zagađenja. Izgradimo zajedno čišći planet!