Sustainability is a growing cause of concern across many industries as well as in the everyday life of consumers. And with global eCommerce sales expected to reach $5.4 trillion this year, it comes as no surprise that sustainable shipping is a hot topic [1]!
It doesn’t look like online sales will be slowing down any time soon, but something needs to be done to reduce the environmental impact of all these deliveries. One significant way to achieve this is through more conscious packaging.
What is eco-friendly packaging?
Eco packaging refers to what sustainable materials are used for packaging your items. These eco-friendly packaging materials include biodegradable packaging, compostable packaging, and recyclable packages that have minimal impact on the environment because they are non-toxic and made from materials that reduce your carbon footprint.
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition defines eco-friendly packaging as [2]:
- Is beneficial, safe, & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle
- Meets market criteria for performance and cost
- Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy
- Is physically designed to only use renewable energy
- Is effectively reused in a closed-loop cycle
Eco-friendly packaging: The benefits for your business, consumers and the environment:
1.Help the planet
The number one and most important benefit of switching to eco-friendly packaging is the reduced carbon emissions by your business.
2.Improve brand reputation
Your consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of how their buying habits are affecting the environment, so by offering sustainable shipping solutions you can appeal to the eco-conscious consumer.
3.Increase profit margins
You may think that putting more effort into choosing eco-friendly packaging will increase costs, but in actual fact it is often cheaper!
4.Beneficial for all stakeholders
The carbon emissions and toxins released from standard packaging are harmful, so deciding to use sustainable packaging is a big step in helping to not only protect the environment, but protect every planet Earth resident!
How to implement eco-friendly packaging into your sustainable shipping solutions:
At GFS we help our customers take the first to ‘Go Green’ with sustainable shipping solutions and eco-friendly packaging options. We understand that becoming more sustainable is important for the planet, and an increasing priority for your customers. As part of our managed multi-carrier delivery services, we give your customers access to more sustainable shipping options, plus our state-of-the-art shipping software makes it even easier for you to offer them!
