Choosing the Right Sustainable Packaging for Your Product
A consumer’s experience with a product starts with its packaging. It’s the first thing they see and where they can find information about the product. According to one of the largest commerce platforms, Shopify, “The market for e-commerce goods has changed drastically over the last decade. As a result, the demand for product packaging solutions to handle shipping, logistics, and creating a unique customer touchpoint has grown alongside it, with a total market value of $61.55 billion expected by 2025.”
Today, eco-friendly packaging has become just as important to consumers as practicality and meeting specific performance standards to protect the product for a long time.
World Aerosols reports that 83% of consumers under the age of 40, a group that will dominate the market for the coming decades, are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. Due to this new demand, companies started embracing eco-friendly packaging and organic and sustainable products.
Many innovations in sustainable packaging can make sorting through the options of environmental claims confusing for companies. Understanding the difference between recycling and composting, biodegradable and plant-based, can significantly affect a brand’s future and its environmental impact. When choosing the right sustainable packaging for a product, there are several things to consider.
1. Choosing the Right Materials
Choosing materials that are recycled, recyclable, or renewable supports sustainability, but it’s crucial for companies to know the importance of choosing the best material for packaging purposes and what message they are sending to their consumer by using that type of packaging.
According to Food Industry Executive, packaging marked as recyclable must be disposed of in recycling bins but is typically made of something other than reusable material. Only a package labeled as recycled means it's been made of recycled material.
Other types of material, like cardboard, paper, and some plastics, are compostable and break down safely and promptly when combined with other organic materials. Compostable materials solve a company’s challenge of waste but also helps produce agricultural compost that nourishes many farms and fields.
2. Size and Weight Matters
Size and weight are important factors when choosing sustainable packaging for your product and should always be considered by a company. Using excess material to protect or secure a product causes unnecessary air pockets and increases shipping costs while enlarging the company’s carbon footprint.
Luckily, minor changes to packaging can make a significant difference to the environment and create a creative, eye-catching look to a company’s presence. In addition, including your sustainability efforts in your packaging and creating unboxing experiences for a customer could positively benefit a consumer’s perception of a company.
3. Durability Protects the Product
Similar to size and weight, the durability of packaging is vital. Choosing strong and durable packaging to protect a product during shipping and handling that’s not over-engineered is important to the environment and customer satisfaction.
Suppose a company wants to minimize its carbon footprint. In that case, it is essential to develop the most efficient packaging dimensions that fit and protect a product during shipping and doesn’t need extra materials to preserve the product. Creating durable packaging while decreasing the number of materials a company uses is excellent for the environment and the brand's image.
Considering these factors, you can choose sustainable and effective packaging to protect and promote your product. Thoroughly communicating why you chose sustainable material and how to dispose of your packaging correctly to your customers will impact the environment and create a positive perception of the business.
At Golden Arrow, we are proud to be leaders in crafting luxurious, uncompromising sustainable packaging that helps make the world environmentally friendly. Our packaging solutions are made from sustainable materials and are meticulously designed to stand out from the crowd with stunning visual finishes and tactile features. Get in contact with us today to learn more!