eco-friendly packaging helps your business reduce waste while simultaneously communicating its values to customers. Customers are more likely to patronise businesses that align with their morals; those using biodegradable packaging will more likely buy from these firms.
Styrofoam is a non-biodegradable material that takes 500 years to decompose in our landfills, lakes, and oceans. An eco-friendly alternative would be biodegradable packing peanuts made of wheat or cornstarch to provide packaging services.
Paper
Customers of ecommerce brands are demanding greener packaging options from them due to climate change and sustainability policies, pushing companies towards eco-friendly alternatives that reduce their environmental impact – some even biodegradable! Luckily, there are plenty of eco-friendly packaging alternatives that can help businesses meet this customer demand for greener solutions – some even biodegradable!
Paper is one of the most eco-friendly packaging materials on the market, as it’s easily recycled. Paper provides several advantages over plastic: It is light and recyclable while highly durable – an ideal option for businesses seeking to minimize their environmental footprint and save on shipping costs while lowering carbon emissions.
Cardboard and corrugated cardboard packaging materials are eco-friendly solutions for ecommerce packaging, offering lightweight durability with reduced energy usage production processes compared to foam and plastic materials. Furthermore, cardboard and corrugated cardboard materials can be used in numerous forms including boxes, envelopes, gift bags and more!
Biodegradable packing peanuts offer another eco-friendly option, decompose in weeks rather than decades in landfills reducing waste and ecological impacts. They’re an ideal alternative to regular plastic packing peanuts which often take years or decades to decompose in landfills.
Paper foam packaging, composed of industrial starch and natural fibers, offers another biodegradable packaging alternative that’s both home compostable and paper recyclable – ideal for cosmetic companies like Schwarzkopf and Burt’s Bees as well as mobile provider T-Mobile, tea brands Pukka and the House of Summer, etc.
Another eco-friendly packaging solution is kraft biodegradable mailer bags made of renewable resources and featuring similar bubble patterns as plastic alternatives, but fully compostable and paper recyclable. Not only do they protect shipments well but they are available in multiple sizes as well.
Bioplastics
Plastic pollution has increased worldwide and businesses have responded by exploring alternative materials known as bioplastics, made from various sources such as renewable biomass or fossil fuel-derived. Some bioplastics even originate from human activities themselves! Bioplastics have gained increasing attention as less toxic alternatives that also lower carbon footprints compared with their traditional polymeric counterparts; yet their environmental impact still needs to be assessed fully.
Bioplastics are currently used across an array of applications, from automotive and transport to agriculture and horticulture, electrics and electronics, and more. Their use in applications like these is expected to increase moderately over time, though their market penetration remains small; bioplastics are most frequently seen used for packaging; Coca-Cola uses its iconic PlantBottle made out of bioplastic and other brands utilize plant-based caps and labels when using this form of packaging material in America.
Bioplastics are typically made from natural starches sourced from corn or sugarcane, although sugarcane, bean starch and potato and wheat starches may also be utilized as feedstock. From these raw materials are extracted polymers such as lactic acid, cellulose acetate or polycaprolactone which then become bioplastics which are both compostable and marine degradable; recycling/reusing opportunities exist too!
Some researchers are investigating biodegradable packaging made from natural sources such as red marine algae, milk protein casein and mushroom mycelium. AMAM produces food-grade film made from red marine algae agar for wrapping food; New York-based Ecovative uses mycelium (the vegetative branching parts of fungi) to craft tiles and other products.
Bioplastics have the potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but they come with their own set of downsides. Notably, bioplastics may not be as environmentally friendly than their fossil-based plastic counterparts and their life cycle analyses should include both environmental and social considerations.
Further, they must be broken down at existing facilities to guarantee complete recycling, which is no easy feat as these substances require high temperatures that must remain constant over an extended period of time. Due to this difficulty, these products do not qualify for regular government waste recycling programs and many end up in landfills where they cause significant environmental harm.
Corn-based materials
Corn-based plastic is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to petroleum-based plastic, produced by fermenting plant starch and producing less greenhouse gases than its petroleum-based counterpart. Furthermore, corn-based plastic contains no toxic materials and can even be broken down and turned into fertilizer!
Recent research analyzed the tensile properties of hybrid starch made from both corn and rice starches for use in biodegradable packaging. Their results proved that hybrid starch could produce high-performance durable products with excellent strength-to-weight ratio and good ductility, providing reliable sealing properties as well as being biodegradable. This research demonstrated how bioplastics produced from hybrid starch could be produced at reduced costs.
One of the many benefits of biodegradable plastic is its use in food packaging applications, from restaurant takeaway boxes to compost bins. Biodegradability also means less waste is accumulating in landfills compared to conventional plastics. Furthermore, its resistance to oily foods makes it an excellent choice. Finally, compostability further reduces landfill waste.
However, this plastic isn’t without its drawbacks; for instance, it takes 90 days to degrade and must only be composted at high temperatures in commercial facilities. Furthermore, methane emissions produced during its degradation can harm the environment if left unchecked; nevertheless if these drawbacks can be overcome then this plastic is an excellent alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics.
Companies that utilize eco-friendly materials can build stronger connections with consumers and stand out from their competition by showing they care about fostering an environmentally sustainable future. This benefit becomes all the more critical as consumer awareness of conventional plastics increases.
As more consumers become aware of plastic pollution, they will demand products which are both eco-friendly and sustainable – this will allow companies to expand their market share while drawing in new customers. Companies using biodegradable packaging will have an edge over those that don’t.
Organic fabrics
Organic fabrics are becoming a growing fashion trend, offering numerous environmental and ethical advantages beyond being eco-friendly. Organic clothing supports ethical and sustainable production practices as well as local economies; moreover, its lack of harmful chemicals and toxins makes it much safer to wear for both you and your family; especially important if there are young children or animals around who might be sensitive to conventional clothes that contain toxic dyes and chemicals that could cause allergies.
Organic fabric is also an effective way of supporting fair labor practices. Textile industry workers have long voiced concerns over how fast-paced work culture impacts both the environment and quality of the products produced, so its rising popularity shows consumers’ desire for change.
Businesses looking for more environmentally-friendly packaging options beyond Styrofoam or plastic materials should explore biodegradable alternatives such as PAPERbubble – a recycled paper product with air pockets designed to protect fragile items. PAPERbubble makes a great alternative to polystyrene packaging as it can be reused time after time. Nano4 PaperWave also provides excellent cushioning options that offer non-toxic, biodegradable cushioning for small to medium sized goods.
Bamboo fibers are another eco-friendly choice that’s worth considering, since they’re grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified seeds – as well as being knitted without using toxic dyes – while organic cotton grows with less chemicals and is water-intensive than its conventional counterpart – thus helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging sustainable agriculture practices.
In an effort to reduce their environmental impact, many e-commerce brands are switching over to eco-friendly packaging options. Some use biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water; others opt for reusable padded mailers with additional cushioning – an eco-friendly option which makes recycling boxes simpler for customers.
Cardboard boxes and paper bags can also be effective eco-friendly options for online businesses, although if sourced unsustainablely they could become harmful. Look out for labels indicating whether the packaging has come from forests managed sustainably in order to support biodiversity; similarly look out for labels which indicate whether its commercial compostability or home compostability; home compostable products can easily be added to garden compost piles to be turned into nutrient-rich soil within weeks!
