How Can Packaging Be More Sustainable?

The climate crisis has - quite rightly - dominated the headlines recently, and many businesses have scrambled to respond to growing consumer demands for more sustainable products.

The packaging industry has come under fire more than most for the damage done to the environment. Microplastic has been found at the Earth's highest points and the deepest parts of the ocean.

It has even permeated the food chain, a move that could see the toxins and chemicals in the plastic leaking into animal and human bodies.

Thankfully, there are many alternatives to using plastic that are less energy intensive and more environmentally friendly.

This blog will explore the benefits of eco-friendly packaging and what different types we can supply, as it aims to find out how packaging can be made more sustainable.

Every day, millions of people around the world buy millions of items both online and in bricks and mortar stores.

Almost everything we purchase and consume comes in some form of packaging, which serves to protect the product and advertise the brand selling it.

For many years, companies focused on the consumer demand for convenience, relying on single use plastic packaging to meet their needs.

The most commonly used is polyethylene and is found in the following forms:

Polyethylene terephthalate: best known for making drinks bottles, it is most commonly used and widely-recycled of all plastic resins

High-density polyethylene: this is used to make containers for heavier items and liquids such as laundry liquid, shampoo and even motor oil

Low-density polyethylene: this is used to make plastic bags and flexible films, and is not widely recycled.

In fact for years, little or no thought was given to reusing or recycling packaging material, leaving the environment to pay the price.

However, growing consternation about the planet-wide impact of plastic pollution sparked a change in direction, and not just from businesses.

The public outcry over the environmental damage being caused by vast amounts of plastic pollution has been one of the biggest drivers of change in the packaging industry.

Businesses from start-ups to established corporations responded once again to consumer demand - this time to enhance the sustainability of their packaging materials.

It's easy to understand why, when you look at some of the statistics:

51% of millennials will check packaging for sustainability claims before buying

70% of all consumers are likely to be influenced by eco packaging

70% of consumers have bought an eco-friendly product even it is more expensive

66% of consumers have avoided a product and/or brand for environmental reasons

Despite this vast - and growing - appetite for eco friendly packaging options, figures from McKinsey revealed just 16% of all plastic waste is reprocessed and turned into new plastics.

Even worse, a quarter is incinerated, while a shocking 40% ends up in landfill, despite the recycling potential of some plastic packaging.

The fact is, not all plastic can be recycled and one of the industry's biggest challenges is finding a way to reuse it, particularly multi-material packaging waste.

Compare the European plastic packaging recycling rate of roughly 40% to approximately 80% for paperboard, and the scale of the problem becomes clear.

So, how do we tackle this growing mountain of plastic packaging waste? The answer is obvious: use sustainable packaging materials without a large carbon footprint or a negative environmental impact.

But is it easier said than done?

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition's (SPC) members take in the entire packaging life cycle.

They include global brands, material producers and converters, packaging designers, logistics, retailers, solid waste processors, academia and government agencies.

SPC defines sustainable packaging as:

beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle

meets market criteria for performance and cost

sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy

optimises the use of renewable or recycled source materials

manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices

made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle

physically designed to optimise materials and energy

effectively recovered and utilised in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles

Obviously, not every industry or business has been able to meet these eco packaging criteria, but for those who are trying to or have achieved this goal, many advantages lie in store.

Adopting environmentally friendly packaging benefits both the planet and your business. Let's look at the environmental impact first.

Manufacturing packaging - particularly plastic, which is derived from fossil fuels - is an energy intensive and polluting exercise.

For every kilogramme of plastic packaging generated, 3.5kg of carbon emissions are produced, compared to 0.94kg per kilo of paper and board.

Any business looking to enhance its green credentials and meet customer demand for packaging sustainability should invest in an eco friendly packaging solution.

Every stage of the plastic manufacturing industry is extremely harmful to the environment. From the extraction and refinement of crude oil to its distribution, use to make plastic, and eventual disposal.

In contrast, the lifespan of environmentally friendly packaging has no such impact on the planet, because it contains none of the chemicals present in plastic.

Because sustainable packaging solutions are made from natural ingredients they biodegrade harmlessly back into the soil.

Regulators and governments have gone to great lengths to make it as simple as possible to recycle materials, including many forms of packaging.

While there is still work to be done in many parts of the world, the progress made so far demonstrates the beneficial impact of sustainable packaging.

Encouraging people not to throw items away has boosted the use of reusable packaging and recycled packaging materials.

It has also cut many businesses' carbon footprint, while at the same time increasing the sustainability of many end products, from newspapers and magazines to clothing and electricals.

Paper is one of the world's most versatile and sustainable packaging materials, and can be reused several times. Of course there are limits to how many times it can be fed back into the system.

When that happens, alongside other packaging made from natural materials, it can be disposed of and left to harmlessly biodegrade back into the environment.

The advantages of using sustainable materials for product packaging don't just extend to the environment. They can benefit your business too. Let's take a closer look.

Image is everything in business, and even the perception that a company isn't being environmentally responsible can be hugely damaging to their reputation among consumers.

Firms can use their investment in eco friendly packaging and the circular economy for their products to burnish or enhance their brand.

Seeking out recyclable materials for their supply chain, switching to reusable cardboard packaging, or using fewer packaging materials are all great ways to minimise their ecological footprint and increase brand loyalty.

It's not just existing customers who are likely to be pleased by a firm shifting to eco friendly products and packaging. It could attract those who are new to your brand too.

Public demand for businesses to adopt sustainable practices is continuing to grow. A company introducing new packaging, biodegradable materials or other sustainable packaging innovations is more likely to expand its customer base.

The switch to sustainable packaging, as well as the reduced environmental impact, could even open up previously unexplored markets or new revenue streams.

Investing in sustainable packaging solutions as part of your supply chain may also reduce your materials and transport costs.

For example: a rethink of raw material use for a particular product could result in a design that relies more on recycled cardboard and eliminates any plastic.

The company saves money from the packaging reduction, has to transport fewer materials and gives their green credentials a boost. It's a win-win for the firm and the planet.

The boom in environmentally friendly packaging solutions has led to a wide range of sustainable options for businesses and consumers. Let's take a look at some of the most popular:

Paper and board packaging are rightly seen as among the most eco friendly packaging solutions, as well as highly sustainable.

That's because paper comes from trees, a natural and renewable resource that absorbs atmospheric CO2. It accounts for 14% of harvested timber worldwide and is not, as some people suggest, the primary cause of deforestation.

Most of our virgin fibre paper products come from certified sustainably managed forests, such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.

FSC and PEFC ensure any wood fibre used for paper production is sourced from well managed forestry, and certified to standards that uphold specific social, environmental and economic criteria.

Although not the only forest management schemes, they are by far the best known and largest, and have significantly enhanced the growth of commercial forestry in recent years.

Using the chain of custody process, FSC and PEFC allow paper products to be traced through the distribution, storage and manufacture stages, back to their certified forestry source.

Companies such as newspapers, magazines or furniture manufacturers displaying the FSC and PEFC logos are able to showcase their sustainability credentials to customers around the world.

Just as the sustainable paper industry has flourished, so has sustainable packaging board.

For many years, the food industry in particular relied on plastic or polystyrene packaging, as corrugated cardboard wasn't suitable for preserving products, or for wet or oily items.

Products such as Delipac have shattered the myths about board and its sustainable profile. It is 100% recyclable packaging, biodegradable packaging and compostable packaging, and a truly sustainable solution for the food and drinks industry.

You can find a full list of the eco friendly paper and board products our sustainable packaging companies supply here.

Of course paper and board are not the only packaging to be made from natural resources.

Plant-based options, created from materials including mushrooms, seaweed, corn and food waste are very much on the rise.

Similar to plant-based solutions, this packaging material also comes from biological sources but is also safe for human consumption.

Edible packaging could provide an eco friendly solution for a range of food and beverages

These packages or materials do exactly as you might expect: they can be planted after use as it has seeds embedded in the packaging.

It's ideal for small or lightweight items, and can also be used as fillers or product wraps.

The Delipac range isn't alone in the new wave of compostable packaging. Generally made from plant-based polymers, they can be composted at home and commercially.

Depending on the quality of the packaging and materials, and whether you compost at home or at a commercial facility, they can take between 90 and 180 days to break down.

Many companies, from bootstrapping start-ups to established businesses, are seeing the wisdom of reducing their environmental footprint through sustainable solutions.

From changing manufacturing processes, a wider use of recycled material to sourcing your paper and board from us, there are many ways to make your packaging more sustainable.

One of the best places to start when trying to improve your packaging sustainability is by looking at what is currently in place, and asking several questions.

Can the amount of packaging be reduced? Can the raw materials be replaced with recycled corrugated cardboard? What impact will the changes have on energy efficiency, consumer behaviour or shipping costs?

Talk to your manufacturing partners about creating new packaging from eco friendly materials, and if they can't help - come to us for impartial advice and support.

It can be almost impossible to envisage what your environmentally friendly packaging will look and feel like, much less how it will hold up during transit, without samples.

If your supplier is among the packaging companies that doesn't provide a sample pack of your packaging grade, our team can.

They always aim to have a sample, swatch or dummy request delivered by the next working day, so you get the answers you need fast.

We understand times are tight and not every company has the resources to be able to boost their packaging sustainability overnight.

That's why we suggest making packaging design changes in phases, giving your packaging manufacturers time to adjust to recyclable or reusable packaging.

It's also less likely to disrupt or negatively impact customer behaviour, as the brand has time to gather feedback.

One of the best ways to make your packaging more sustainable is to look at exactly how much you're using for your products.

You can avoid over packaging by eliminating excess plastic packaging, swapping a complex box for a simpler, cut-out version, using recycled board.

At Denmaur, we are committed to helping companies develop and maintain sustainable packaging strategies by providing a range of eco-friendly board and paper-based packaging solutions.

But we're old hands at all things environmentally friendly. Sustainability has been at the core of our business long before caring about the environment was fashionable.

Back in 2009, we launched the Act on CO2 initiative to address the environmental impact of our day-to-day activities.

It became the cornerstone for our ISO 14001: standards related to environmental management to help firms minimise the impact of their operations on the planet.

More recently, it also supported our Carbon Balanced Company certification. Carbon Balancing or offsetting can be applied to all our paper and board grades that are not offset at source.

Brands including us in their paper supply chain can display the Carbon Balanced logo on their products, while a World Land Trust certificate provides an official environmental record for carbon reporting and ISO 14001.

The World Land Trust is an international conservation charity protecting the planet's most biologically important and threatened habitats acre by acre.

Its Carbon Balancing scheme does more than merely cut CO2 emissions. It also conserves and protects an area intensely rich in biodiversity that is home to 41 threatened species.

Alongside our Carbon Balancing and certification, we offer a wide range of paper and packaging products made with or including recycled materials.

Aura cartonboard is ideal for pharmaceutical or fast-moving consumer goods, as well as food, and is made from FSC Mix Credit certified and traceable pulp sources.

Another environmentally friendly packaging solution is Revive Greyboard; manufactured from 100% FSC recycled certified post-consumer waste pulp.

Even the luxury markets are getting in on the sustainable packaging act with Eco Foil Digital. It's 100% recyclable at its end-of-life stage, and is applied to verifiable and traceable sustainably certified paper and board materials.

You'll want to see the benefits from shifting to sustainable packaging or if you're buying the right materials for your printed material.

Our paper health check, backed up by official quotes, samples and dummies, will establish whether your business is getting value for money from all its paper and board supplies.

It can also identify more sustainable packaging or paper options that could enhance your business's green reputation and give it a lower carbon footprint.

Companies that have enhanced the sustainability of their supply chains understand mapping and maintaining them are essential for both social and environmental compliance.

We offer several reporting services suitable for auditing purposes and conducting risk assessments to enhance your supply chain analysis.

There are many ways to make your packaging more sustainable, enhancing your brand among customers and giving you the edge on your competitors.

Whether you want to get your hands on samples for an upcoming big project, or want data-driven insights into how your paper and board work for you, our team can help.

You can email info@denmaur.com and our team will get back to you straight away