Everyone uses packaging, from single individuals to large corporations. Since most packaging is not currently sustainable, this has led to packaging waste in landfills and the ocean. Companies need to adopt sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging can help a business and the environment at the same time. Sustainable packaging does not just mean recyclable packaging. In fact, most recyclable packaging is not even recycled (Berg). Sustainable packaging involves reusing packaging and designing efficient packaging. It can reduce a company’s carbon footprint, minimize their waste, and even save them money. Companies should feel an incentive to use sustainable packaging.
Most people have heard the phrase ‘reducing your carbon footprint.’ But how can a business do this? Sustainable packaging can reduce a business’s carbon footprint in several ways. First, sustainable packaging involves using material efficiently, resulting in lightweight packaging. This requires less fuel transport the product, saving energy and reducing carbon emissions (Reduce). However, since many consumers shop online, protecting products with adequate packaging during delivery is important. If products are not adequately protected, they might become damaged, which could result in an increase in the carbon footprint if the company pays for a replacement and uses more fuel to transport it (Reduce). Therefore, packaging must be both lightweight and durable. Another way to reduce the carbon footprint is to design packaging efficiently, so waste during the manufacturing process is minimized (Reduce). Sustainable packaging helps businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.
Sustainable packaging also helps companies to reduce their waste. One obvious method to achieve this is recycling. Once a piece of packaging is used, it can be recycled into a new piece of packaging. This requires significantly less energy than creating a new package from scratch, reducing cost and waste (Reduce). Using recyclable, sustainable packaging is a smart choice for any company and can also help reduce the carbon footprint. In addition, businesses can reuse sustainable packaging.
In case reducing the carbon footprint is not enough to inspire the change to sustainable packaging, companies can look forward to reduced costs as well. Lighter packaging will result in fewer transport costs. Less packaging waste is less money wasted, because recycling and reusing packaging lets a business reinvest materials (Reduce). As a result, the business will spend less to manufacture packaging. Efficient use of materials helps both the company and the environment. As well as decreasing their costs, business that use sustainable packaging could increase sales as consumers and retailers are become more aware of sustainability (Berg). Consumers might prefer to purchase from a company that use sustainable packaging over companies that do not, and certain retailers even require sustainable packaging.
In today’s culture, companies should be pressured to adopt sustainable packaging. Our care for the environment, as well as the competitive market, demand it. With sustainable packaging, businesses can reduce their carbon footprint and their waste. Additionally, they will likely reduce some of their costs and could even earn more return. Sustainable packaging is efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. In the future, more and more business should adopt the benefits of sustainable packaging.
Works Cited:
“Reduce the carbon footprint of your packaging operation.” Swiftpak, 2020
Essay by: Logan Janes
Janes Homeschool
