Tag Archives: cardboard

Why Less Packaging Is more 

You’ve probably experienced this to some degree. You go to the store, getting a package that’s wrapped in plastic that’s twice the size that it needs to be. 

Overpackaging is something that’s present in a lot of different sectors. While this is a minor occurrence at the surface level, it’s actually terrible for the planet. Here, we’re going to talk about overpackaging, and why you need to reduce this, not just for the environment, but also for your brand as well. 

What Overpackaging is 

Overpackaging is when you literally use too much packaging. This can include plastic, cardboard, bubble wrap, and the like. While the goal is product protection, the result is wasted resources and effort. 

It isn’t good for the environment, but it actually costs a lot more for people that are using this packaging. The customers are the ones that pass on this expense, so it can make products much more expensive for them. 

Why Reducing Overpackaging is needed for sustainability 

The bad impacts of overpackaging aren’t just that customers don’t like it, it actually affects society and the economy.

There are reasons why we’re looking to curtail this, and here they are. 

First, let’s talk about the waste of these resources.  It depletes the resources that we have, which includes paper, plastics, and even the energy that’s used to make this. through the making of this, transit, and the disposal, the excess packaging does lead to a larger production, and more costs in terms of transportation. It also jeopardizes these resources for future generations. That’s why businesses need to make sure that they have the right packaging, and then adopt better, more eco-friendly alternatives. 

Overpackaging also is bad for the environment.  Generating too much packaging actually pollutes the landfills we have, but also our oceans. This in turn harms the wildlife, and thereby damages the ecosystems. This decomposition of the packaging material is also far slower, and it leads to a much larger pollution of the environment, and a higher carbon footprint.  Making of this also takes a lot more water, energy, and even resources, which causes more greenhouse gasses to come out, and climate change too. That’s why we need to curb overpackaging, in order to safeguard the environment. 

The Economics of Overpackaging 

It also causes issues with the economics of society too. When you use too much packaging, you’re spending more, inflating the price not just for you, but your customers too.

An inefficient supply chain because you need more storage also adds to this.

This waste of resources also causes energy prices to skyrocket, and this wastefulness is going to cause the resources to be far less available, and the costs for the cleanup are going to negatively impact everything. 

In conclusion, in order to have a future, we need to stop over packaging. 

How to Fix this 

There are a few ways for you to fix this as a business. 

Some of them include: 

  • Eco friendly packaging that’s compostable, biodegradable, and further recycled to reduce the landfills and burdens 
  • Minimalism packaging to reduce the weight and size, and to eliminate any materials in excess, which will save on the costs of shipping and wastes 
  • Educating consumers by raising awareness of this, in order to show off the importance of packaging. Giving good labeling and design will inform the customers of the environmental perks of this, and the demand for more eco friendly types of alternatives 
  • Government regulations to put a curb on too much packaging, to help with reducing waste and to provide a green future. 

Packing Fragile Items 

Items that are breakable and fragile require a lot of needed protection. With a lot of packaging options to choose to use, there’s a lot of challenge to this, but if you want packaging that does work, that prevents the breakage of items, and does do in a way that’s beneficial, here’s what we’ve found.

The packaging is responsible for saving you up to 30% on returns every single year, and it’s actually the primary reason why a customer might return something, so for those in the realm of ecommerce, it’s vital to have this, as it can make or break your products. 

Choose the correct materials 

The first thing that you must understand is that you need the correct materials so that the packaging reaches the correct destination without breaking or getting messed up.

It also will depend on the items that are being shipped, and their destination, and we’ll also go over some specific types of factors.

The right packaging is really important, and there are five things you should always keep in mind when you’re choosing to pack items that are fragile. 

  • Your materials.  This is important because you want something durable, and pretty flexible.  You want to make sure that you choose something that’ won’t’ compromise the packaging. Double-walled boxes for shipping are a wonderful choice for this.
  • The environmental aspects. Being environmentally conscious is important, and plastic packaging is not only quite tacky, but it also won’t be good as well for the benefits of the environment too. 
  • The costs. You want something that is low in costs, but not going to skimp out on protecting the item inside. You’ll end up wasting more money if that happens. 
  • The size. You want to get boxes that are going to fit the items. You shouldn’t go for the one-size-fits-most type of approach, because that may cause you to spend more for filler that will ultimately break. Go flexible, and you’ll do better. 
  • The aesthetics are the final part of this.  You want something that has good graphics and colors and is consistent amongst all brands. You have to have this in place, as most customers base their purchasing decisions off of this.

Don’t’ be afraid to use Void Fill 

Don’t be scared to use this.  You want to use something that’ll offer a cushion to the packaging. However, your first choice might not be bubble wrap, as it’s not very eco friendly. 

The problem with bubble wrap is that they usually end up in our oceans, and they’re not good for the environment.

The cool thing about this, is that these days, there are now eco-friendly packaging peanuts that you can get made from materials that are fully recyclable and are great examples of the types of great things that you can use. 

Custom is Key 

There is also the customized packaging option. If you’re able to order customs, do so. The reason is simple. custom packaging looks better, is prettier, and you’ll be able to create an insert that fits the packaging perfectly.

This can reduce the movements that are there, and maximizes the power of the packaging inside, offering more value to the items that are there, so that customers are able to remember who you are exactly. 

The double-walled cardboard types of packaging and the inserts go a long way.

Fragile packaging is a bit more complex, and you’ve got to be mindful about it, but luckily, with this, we’ve been able to find the perfect packaging means, so that you can protect the packaging as best as possible.