Simply put, sustainable packaging is earth-friendly and doesn’t contribute to the further depletion of natural resources.

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) offers the following 8 criteria for packaging to be considered sustainable:

1. Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle.
2. Meets market criteria for performance and cost.
3. Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy.
4. Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials.
5. Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices.
6. Is made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle.
7. Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy.
8. Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed-loop cycles.

Advantages of Sustainable Packaging

We’ve talked a great deal about sustainable packaging solutions and the different strategies that go along with it, but what exactly can you get out of eco-friendly packing?

Let’s look at the advantages of sustainable packaging:

Expand your customer base and increase brand loyalty.

Being more sustainable can help you acquire more customers and boost loyalty while you’re at it. Multiple studies have shown that consumers are increasingly factoring in sustainability when choosing which brands to do business with.

A survey by CGS of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that almost 70% of respondents considered sustainability as at least “somewhat important” and almost half (47%) said that would pay 25% more for sustainable products.

Additionally, research by Nielsen found that 48% of consumers are willing to change their consumption habits to lower their impact on the environment. And that’s not just lip service. Nielsen’s analysis found that sustainable product sales in the United States have grown nearly 20% since 2014, and the company estimates that sales would reach $150 billion by next year.

Consolidated storage.

Reducing packaging materials and minimizing waste are two big components of sustainable packaging. And when implemented correctly, they lead to more efficient storage, so you can limit the space required to house your products (thus lowering storage costs), or open up additional space to store more merchandise.

Lower shipping costs.

As mentioned earlier, shipping small smaller packages is a great way to practice sustainability. A bonus to this is it also lowers your shipping costs.

For instance, sending out a 12 x12x12 box weighing 1 lb from New York to Los Angeles costs $23.65 via UPS Ground. But if you manage to fit your product into a smaller 10x10x10 box, you lower your rate to $17.72. That’s a difference of $5.93, which can add up quickly!

Sustainable Packaging Strategies

Now that you know what sustainable packaging is and what it entails, let’s look at the strategies and packaging innovations you can implement to be more eco-friendly with your packaging.

In this section, we’ll cover the following strategies:

1. Share disposal and recycling best practices.
2. Ship in a smaller package.
3. Recycled packaging materials.
4. Plant-based packaging.
5. Edible packaging.
6. Plantable packaging.
7. Compostable and biodegradable plastic alternatives.
8. Avoid over-packaging throughout the supply chain.
9. Use manufacturing partners with sustainable practices.

Check them out in more detail below and see which practices make the most sense for your ecommerce business.

1. Share disposal and recycling best practices.

Educate your customers on the best ways to recycle and dispose of your packaging materials. This step can be a little tricky because recycling varies from city to city. But you can share general best practices by clearly labeling reusable or recyclable packaging.

The cleaning brand, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, does a great job here. In addition to having a recycling icon on its bottles, the brand’s labels have a line that reads:

BOTTLES ARE MADE WITH AT LEAST 30% POST-CONSUMER PLASTIC. PLEASE RECYCLE.

2. Ship in a smaller package.

Reducing your ecological footprint can be as simple as reducing the packaging materials you use. This means using smaller boxes, bags, and containers for your products. Not only does this help you be more sustainable, it can also lower your shipping costs.

Reducing the size of your shipments starts with purchasing smaller packing supplies and using fewer filler materials.

If possible, play around with the size and positioning of your products and see if they can fit in smaller packages.

For example, if you sell furniture that can be disassembled, explore the ways that you can position the different components of your product to figure out the approach that saves the most space. Shipping apparel, bedding, or any other foldable products? Keep them tightly folded or bundled so they’ll fit snugly in smaller boxes.

3. Recycled packaging materials.

Recycled packaging is a great way to extend the life of previously used materials. When deciding on boxes, mailers, or containers, consider using packaging that’s made out of recycled materials.

Paperboard cardboard is one of the most common examples of recycled packaging. Paperboard is created using used paper pulp; it’s also lightweight and can easily be cut and formed, making it ideal for shipping boxes.

You can also opt for containers and mailers that are made from previously used plastic materials such as single-use bags and bottles. These plastics are processed at a recycling facility and put back into circulation in the form of packaging supplies.

4. Plant-based packaging.

Plant-based options are rapidly making inroads into the world of product packaging. As its name suggests, these materials are made out of biological sources — everything from mushrooms and seaweed to corn and food waste.

The right plant-based packaging options will depend on the products that you need to package or ship. If you’re selling food, for example, then you should ensure that the material can protect your product without affecting its flavor (bioplastics are a good solution for this). If you’re shipping bulkier items, then select durable plant-based materials such as packaging made out of cornstarch and mushrooms.

5. Edible packaging.

Think of edible packaging as a cousin of plant-based. They come from the same family (i.e., biological sources), but edible packaging takes things a step further by being safe to eat.

Edible packaging is an ideal option for retailers that sell food and beverages, as it could serve as a great addition to your already delicious offerings.

6. Plantable packaging.

Plantable packaging is exactly what it sounds like: these are packages or materials that you can plant. Plantable packages have seeds embedded in them, so your customers can plant them after they’ve been used.

Plantable packaging works great for containing small and lightweight items such as cosmetics or jewelry. They can also be used as fillers or product wraps.

7. Compostable and biodegradable plastic alternatives.

Compostable packaging is made out of materials that can be composted at home and commercially. They’re often made from plant-based polymer that can break down in compost.

How long does it take to fully compost these packages? Depending on the quality and materials, a commercial compost facility can break these packages down in 90 days, while domestic compost conditions can do it in 180 days.

8. Avoid over-packaging throughout the supply chain.

Packing materials are abundant in the retail supply chain. Products are bagged, baled, or bundled before they get to you, often using additional packaging. As such, you need to optimize how merchandise moves across the chain so you can minimize these materials — and the waste that comes with them.

Work with your suppliers and vendors to optimize your supply chain practices. Some of the things you could try are:

• Forecast demand properly to ensure that you don’t overproduce or over-order products.
• Consolidate shipments to use fewer packaging materials.
• Urge your supply chain partners to use sustainable materials throughout the process.