Packaging and its waste is still a huge issue, with a lot of plastic still ending up in landfills and other locations, and the problem is, they end up there for lifetimes. While we do still have a lot of shifts in the way we handle packaging, one of the biggest industries that’s had a shift, is of course, ecommerce. Whether you’re ordering groceries or furniture, it’s become easier than ever, and a lot of businesses are looking to offer sustainable packaging and other aspects of this. You need to choose packaging material that's more sustainable, and here’s what we have regarding this.
Recyclable Packaging
This is one of the most common, and it’s one that's tried and true for a reason. They have different paper=-based aspects and materials, including”
Corrugated paperboard
Molded pulps
Cartons made from kraft paper
The paper-based kinds of materials are recycled, and then soaked in a solution, chopped up, strained, cooked, and then cleaned and bleached, which allows them to reform into new types of products that are made of paper, which creates a full-circle sort of process.
While it is very true that the paper does slowly lose durability, the cool thing about this is that the packaging is fully biodegradable, so if you want to compose this, you’re allowed to do this, and your environment will thank you.
Compostable
The next kind that we have is compostable packaging. Composting is basically taking paper the next step, offering large-scale waste composting, in order to ensure that everything’s all properly done away with.
Some of the most common composted materials include:
Cornstarch packaging
Mushroom packaging
Bioplastics
Right now, the first two are still being worked on, but cornstarch and other bioplastics are being heralded for being reliable and compostable kinds of items, especially when it comes to restaurants and food. Foods and restaurants actually account for a chunk of the waste that they’re trying to fix, mostly because of the polystyrene types of materials that are used for this, which aren’t very good. The thing with compostable packaging, is that it’s hygienic, and offers a packaging that doesn't break down over a certain time period. They also are marine degradable too, so if it does get put in the ocean, it eventually does break down.
Reusable
This is one that is simple, and you basically use this gain, extending life, and offering a more circular sort of economy. These are eco friendly, since single-use plastics get all but eliminated, which is a big thing that global packaging hopes to fix. Shipping these around the world basically does create some waste, since you may have to use something to protect it.
But the cool thing with reusable packaging, is that you can also get reusable filler too, including packaging pellets, which save so many costs and improve the ROI as well. In the end, this type of reusable sort of packaging is also totally recyclable too, so that you don't have to worry about the significant impact on the life cycle of products.
These are some of the most commonly used types of packaging and shipping products that help to create a safe and more eco friendly sort of life. With that said, there is a lot that you can do, and a whole lot that you can benefit from. When you’re looking to improve your packaging, definitely consider these, as they are better options, and they can actually offer more use for products so that they don’t end up in different landfills as well.
