As consumers become more conscious of their shopping habits, they’re looking not only for eco-friendly products. They’re also concerned about sustainable business practices across the board.
How items ordered from Shopify businesses are packaged and shipped has a major impact on the planet—and customers are taking note.
We spoke to business founders about their sustainability practices, including eco-friendly packaging options and how they’re shipping and fulfilling their orders with the environment in mind.
Learn their best eco-friendly packaging tips and get ideas for how you can bring more sustainability to your product packaging and shipping.
6 eco-friendly packaging tips
- Use compostable packaging and mailers
- Ship items in bulk
- Use sustainable packaging materials that can be repurposed
- Offer a returns program for your empty product containers
- Reduce the size of your packaging
- Offer carbon-neutral shipping by offsetting emissions
Let’s dive into each of these eco-friendly packaging ideas, with advice from ecommerce business owners on everything including recyclable packaging, compostables, sustainable alternatives to plastic bags, filler, and more.
1. Use compostable packaging and mailers
A big trend in eco-friendly packaging right now is compostable and biodegradable packaging. Speaking to this growing area of focus for many retailers, Hero Packaging is a supplier dedicated to making 100% compostable mailers, which replace traditional hard to recycle poly mailers.
Life and business partners Anaita Sarkar and Vik Davé were originally running a fashion business when they realized how much plastic waste went into fulfilling their orders.
“We were throwing away a lot of packaging from suppliers then having to repackage things again, adding to the world’s plastic and landfill woes,” Vik says.
So they took matters into their own hands.
“We did some digging and found out that you can actually have compostable shipping labels and mailers to replace plastic,” Vik says.
The material Hero Packaging uses is cornstarch and cassava based.
Now that business has taken off in Australia, Vik and Anaita have begun seeing a large portion of sales of their eco-friendly packaging from North America. To respond to newfound demand, they’re keen to start partnering with fulfillment centers in the US.
Vik jokes that “being a business which is essentially located at the bottom of the Earth makes it difficult to viably ship heavy boxes to different parts of the world.”
The couple says their goal is to further reduce their carbon footprint by shipping closer to their customers in the most sustainable way available.
2. Ship items in bulk
Harriet Simonis, David Fragomeni, and Scott Ferguson first became friends while living in Bali. When surfing the local waves, they were distressed to find that the ocean was overflowing with single-use plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets. That moment served as the catalyst to adopt the zero-waste lifestyles they still practice today. As they searched for plastic-free and eco-friendly products, they realized something ironic.
“A lot of environmentally friendly products come affixed in plastic,” Harriet says. “It almost undoes the good.”
Determined to create an eco-friendly solution, the trio founded Zero Waste Cartel, a brand of bath, body, and kitchen products in biodegradable or reusable packaging.
3. Use sustainable packaging materials that can be repurposed
The common thread with all of these brands is a desire to be more environmentally responsible. For some, this commitment offered a way to connect with customers around core values. For others, the time, energy, and research involved in sourcing sustainable packaging solutions just felt like the right thing to do.
Depending on your industry, location, and resources, the right packaging and shipping solutions for your business can vary widely. Whatever you choose for your business, know that your efforts will pay off as more and more customers are speaking up for the environment with their dollars.
Feature image by Unsplash / Sticker Mule
Eco-friendly packaging FAQ
What is eco-friendly packaging?
Eco-friendly packaging refers to alternatives to typical wasteful packaging like plastics. These alternatives include renewable packaging, compostable poly mailers (bioplastics), recycled kraft shopping bags or filler, biodegradable packing tape and stickers, recycled corrugated cardboard boxes, and other packaging materials that contribute less waste.
Why is eco-friendly packaging important?
Packaging accounts for a huge amount of waste produced globally. Taking steps to replace some of this with sustainable alternatives will reduce the strain on our planet, including plastics that end up in our oceans and deforestation.
What is the most eco-friendly packaging?
There are many alternatives that all have their pros and cons. The best packaging is no packaging at all, but this is an unrealistic standard to meet, especially as an ecommerce company. The most eco-friendly packaging is that which uses the least new resources and is easy to either reuse, home compost, or recycle.
How much does eco-friendly packaging cost?
Eco-friendly packaging may cost more than conventional packaging, and the prices will range widely depending on a number of factors, including material and volume. Buying anything in bulk will save you money and is a great solution for businesses that ship many things in the same size packaging. Compare rates and options. The extra cost is worth it for the positive impact you will make on the planet—and in customer’s minds.
Where can I buy eco-friendly packaging?
There are multiple packaging supplies that offer eco-friendly options from large businesses like Hero Packaging and noissue that offer custom packaging options. Weigh the offerings of each of these sources based on your volume and other needs.
