Consumers today are more attuned to their environmental footprint than ever. This means they are more sensitive and thoughtful about the products they purchase. They’re researching companies and engaging with brands directly on social media. They’re reading labels, investigating ingredients, and evaluating their packaging.
In all this, they’re looking for signals that the companies they support though their purchases are equally as attuned to their environmental footprint, actively working to reduce waste and use sustainable materials.
As a packaging company, we have the opportunity to make decisions that can significantly influence and affect sustainability up and down the supply chain. From the materials we offer, to the style of packaging we recommend, we can offer strategies to help our customers achieve greener packaging that’s more efficient and less costly.
CONSOLIDATION
Consolidating packaging means that you’re fitting more products into fewer packages. This strategy can make a big difference when you’re shipping products out to retail stores or when you’re shipping parts to the manufacturer.
The first step in consolidation is to look at how you can be more efficient and strategic with the materials you absolutely have to use. Then you look at how you can safely eliminate the rest. This requires creativity, resourcefulness, and an engineering mindset.
Consolidation accomplishes some important goals in the quest for greener packaging. It reduces packing materials and the total number of packages while still protecting the product, usually at a lesser cost. Benefits are gained up and down the supply chain, leaving a positive impact on sustainability efforts.
RIGHT SIZE BOXING
Choosing the most appropriate size box for your e-commerce shipment helps to minimize shipping costs by optimizing the dim weight and reducing void fill. It also helps create a more positive customer experience by eliminating excess packaging materials.
When combined with smart automation, like the i-Pack machine or the PACJacket, right size boxing can be fast and efficient.
As the e-commerce industry continues to expand year after year, you’ll need innovative ways to reduce materials while protecting your products. Right size boxing takes innovation and smart strategy but can return significant benefits, especially over the long term.
STANDARDIZING RETAIL PACKAGING
Retail packaging has some heavy lifting to do. It has to protect the product, act as a billboard for the brand, and get your attention above all the competition on the shelf. If it can also be environmentally friendly, then that’s a bonus for everybody.
One way we’ve been able to help customers achieve a more sustainable model for retail packaging is by creating an exterior
box or container design and then changing up the internal profile to accommodate a variety of items.
This achieves consistency in the outer layer to reduce production and supply costs and ensures that the cases can always be cubed on a pallet for efficient shipping.
With that single container, you can then use labels or shrink sleeves to differentiate, allowing you to buy in bulk and use only the materials needed for each variety. This cuts down supply costs and provides more flexibility in the production line.
The engineers in our Custom Packaging Lab create protective packaging designs for customers in the automotive industry, health & beauty, e-commerce and more.
Contact us today to talk about your sustainability goals.
Download our whitepaper on Making Greener Packaging a Reality for more ideas on how your company can implement smart packaging for better, more sustainable outcomes today and in the future.
