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Eco-Friendly Packaging That Delights Your Customers and the Environment

While the term “eco-friendly packaging” may seem like a buzzword, there are many examples that prove that sustainable efforts from businesses large and small are here to stay. Consumers’ call for more sustainable business practices has been getting louder and louder over recent years, and every company from local businesses to huge corporations like McDonald’s have been making pledges to improve their products and processes.

Luckily, corrugated is one of the longest established, most sustainable packaging materials. Its recovery rate is incredibly high, and customers and businesses alike love corrugated for both its recyclability and easily customizable design options.

Read on to learn more about the trend toward eco-friendly packaging, why it’s so important to start doing your part as a business to protect the environment, and how corrugated packaging fits in.

Retail Trends That Are Helping the Environment

Multiple retail trends have risen in recent years that are either directly in response to building consumer eco-consciousness or implemented for other reasons (like efficiency and cost savings) but also positively impacting the environment. Two of the major trends that have come about regarding eco-friendly packaging practices are fit-to-product packaging and retail-ready packaging.

Fit-to-product packaging represents a win in every direction for e-commerce businesses and their customers. Since shipping organizations often bill now by DIM, or dimensional, weight (a calculation that considers both weight and size of a box) versus true weight, fit-to-product packaging creates significant cost savings for companies. Custom packaging that fits a product’s size and shape perfectly also protects it better since a product won’t have void space to jostle around in.

Among the many benefits for fit-to-product packaging is also eco-friendliness, since less material will be used in the packaging for each product, and less fillers will need to be employed for protection. More packages per truck also leads to less gas emissions, making fit-to-product packaging almost a no-brainer for e-tailers.

Another sustainable retail packaging trend, retail-ready packaging, also cuts down costs and improves processes while being better for the environment. Retail-ready packaging involves a grouping of products in a carton or container on a shelf versus being individually placed directly onto the shelf. It saves time for store clerks stocking shelves and markets your product further with eye-catching graphics. Again, the fit-to-product approach of retail-ready packaging leads to less material used, which is ultimately better for the environment.

Learn more about the retail trends that are fueling sustainable packaging efforts, increasing sales, and improving processes here.

Sustainability Is Increasing in Urgency

The World Counts projects that in less than 30 years there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. With a truckload’s worth of plastic being dumped into the ocean every single minute, plastic waste has quickly become a crisis. With that in mind, consumers are more than ever willing to put their money and support behind companies that invest in eco-friendly alternatives to plastic.

Corrugated is the perfect alternative to plastic packaging, with its strength, versatility, and sustainable qualities. And to remain environmentally friendly while showing off product, many companies are using openings in corrugated packaging in place of plastic film.

But what about plastic alternatives that can withstand the elements? Mako-Board™ is a premium paper-board suitable for both indoor use in wet or variable temperature environments and temporary outdoor use. This paperboard is 100% recyclable and has a 12-week lifecycle.

Learn more about alternatives that can help reduce the amount of plastic waste being dumped in the ocean.

Digital Printing Technology Can Reduce Your Negative Environmental Impact

While corrugated is a great packaging material for eco-conscious companies, pairing it with more sustainable printing methods takes a company’s commitment to the environment one step further. Digital printing creates high-quality graphics while producing less emissions and waste.

Partnering with an experienced packaging printer with certifications like the G7 master facility program also ensures less waste, as this will lead to fewer prototypes and mistakes along the way. High-quality printing technology paired with deep expertise in color-matching is a win-win, being more environmentally friendly while also producing the best results consistently and dependably.

With two-thirds of today’s consumers preferring to buy products packaged in recyclable materials, the combination of corrugated packaging with digitally printed graphics is one both you and your customers can feel good about. While making changes to already-in-place elements like product packaging can seem daunting especially for small to mid-sized businesses, the right packaging company will work with you to innovate and implement environmentally friendly solutions like these that won’t break the bank.

Read more about the sustainable duo of corrugated packaging and digital printing.

Dusobox’s Commitment to Eco-Friendly Packaging

Our dedication to sustainability starts with taking real-life actionable steps toward advancing environmentally safe packaging for every application. We’ve given substantial financial resources and time to developing in-house sustainable printing methods, and even invested in an alternative to synthetic, plastic board called Mako-Board™.

On top of that, our main service offerings are corrugated packaging and displays. As mentioned, corrugated is one of the most highly recovered and recyclable packaging materials. Everything we do is done with sustainability in mind, making Dusobox a premier partner for high-quality, eco-friendly packaging.

Reach out today to find out how Dusobox can help you reach your packaging sustainability goals.