Just as packaging’s primary purpose is protecting household items and more, it can also protect the environment. The life cycle of packaging material can strain the earth’s resources if businesses and consumers don’t begin to make changes in their packaging choices. 

For example, when you visit your favorite coffee shop to purchase a latte, you can choose between the packaging of a paper travel cup or a ceramic mug. While the paper is convenient, the mug is reusable and preserves the earth’s resources.

Similar to consumers, businesses need to adopt this type of mentality for creating packaging for products. Walking through a household or store, consider all the items present that arrived in some type of packaging. If every item required packaging, the excess of wasteful materials would be unfathomable. Most people look right through the cardboard boxes and plastic peanuts, quickly shoving all of it into the trash because they’re focusing on what the packaging protected. It can be hard to imagine what it would be like to stack all that packaging in landfills.

When it comes to packaging sustainability, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) defined sustainable for packaging as “beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle.” Moreover, the packaging should be created, transported, and recycled using renewable energy. Only the cleanest production technologies and eco-friendly practices should be used during the creation of these items. Sustainable packaging must be effectively recovered or reused in closed loops.

When companies package their products in environmentally friendly packaging, they’re making a bid for the environment. Consumers can contribute towards protecting the environment by voting with their wallet. By purchasing products that are packaged responsibly they are making an ecological difference. 

Data shows that an increasing number of people believe that package sustainability is important. Through a poll of 30,000 consumers across 60 countries, the Nielsen Global Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility discovered that 55% of online consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from environmentally-minded companies. One notable detail is that 51% of the people who are willing to pay more for green products are Millennials.

Source: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2014/global-consumers-are-willing-to-put-their-money-where-their-heart-is.html

The Future is Green Packaging

As Millennials become the main working population, this demographic will be making the spending choices. Therefore, companies should take every opportunity to meet the demand for sustainable packaging.

Packaging matters because it’s the first thing that buyers see. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, packaging grabs the eye and can tell a consumer a lot about the company values as well as the product. In fact, many consumers can see a package and observe that it’s striving to protect the environment.

Companies often fear that by choosing sustainable packaging that they lose the style factor. On the contrary, technology allows sustainable packaging to be more beautiful and functional than ever.

Give Them What They Want
Consumers know what they want in packaging. It’s possible to meet their wants while also supporting sustainability.

Brand recognition – the consumer wants to be able to find what they’re looking for with ease.
Storage packaging – durable, long-term protection for a product.
Recyclable – packaging that is easy to recycle.
Minimalist – less packaging promises conservation of resources.
Style Creativity – standing out can catch the eye of a consumer.
 
Packaging matters. Throughout its entire life cycle, its components should be biodegradable while meeting the standards of businesses in cost, performance, and safety. Packaging can simultaneously be effective, functional, and stylish. At Golden Arrow, our experts continually offer sustainable packaging that meets every one of these expectations. Reach out today to discover your sustainable packaging options.