What is sustainable packaging and how do I do it?

what-is-sustainable-packaging-and-how-do-i-do-it<p>It&#8217;s official. Sustainable packaging has matured from fad to trend, according to experts. What is sustainable packaging and how can small, medium and large businesses adapt?</p> <p>Fortunate for us, there is a coalition of sustainable packaging experts who can help us understand all things sustainable. They are called, you guessed it, The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC).</p> <p>Sustainable packaging is (1) beneficial, safe and healthy (2) meets market criteria for performance and cost and is (3) made and recycled using renewable energy. There are other criteria, refer to the SPC website for the <a href=http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/content/?type=5&amp;id=definition-of-sustainable-packaging target=_blank rel=noopener>full definition</a>.</p> <p>So what are some ways that you can make your product offering more sustainable?</p> <p>Lightweight the package. Not all 8 oz boston round containers are of equal weight. Within the 8 oz boston rounds are containers that use more or less plastic. If your product performance is not compromised by using a lighter weight container, go for it.</p> <p>Offer refills. If it makes sense economically and logistically for customers to get a refill, you might want to offer that service to them. You might even incentivize them by offering a discount on their refill since they&#8217;ve already purchased the package.</p> <p>Accept returns. Some companies accept returns of the primary package. You could set up a loyalty program by offering a free gift to customers that return a certain number of your containers.</p> <p>Recycle. Remember, ALL plastics are recyclable. Look on the bottom of each container and you can see the <a href=http://blog.containerandpackaging.com/2009/06/what-are-6-main-plastic-resin-types.html>resin identification code</a>. This tells you which recycling streams it can put into. You should also remember that not all materials can be recycled in all areas.</p> <p>There are more ways to make your packaging more sustainable. Just with any other fad-turned-trend, your creativity is the only limit.</p>