E-commerce business is booming, and so are sustainability initiatives. In fact, according to Forbes 87% of consumers care about the environmental impact of their purchases.
According to Nielsen, as a brand strategy, its more important to consumers that your company is environmentally friendly than whether you are offering a sale or coupon.
So, how do you go about building a brand that promotes the key values of sustainability?
One of the simplest ways to start is to focus on your packaging materials and make smart choices here.
What are your options?
Paper products and cardboard
- These are reusable and recyclable, which is great, but let’s keep in mind that 165,000,000,000 packages are shipped in cardboard shipper boxes, each year and this equates to 1,000,000,000 trees used.
- Considering fully recycled cardboard is a great option, and also really thinking through the packaging you are using so that a second shell isn’t needed could be a great strategy.
- Corrugated Bubble Wrap is another paper product that is an alternative to void fill or dunnage such as packing peanuts.
Plant based plastics
- These are great because they break down faster and they are made from plants, rather than petro-chemicals.
- They are compostable as well.
Plastic that Decomposes Quickly
- There is newer packaging available made from plastic but is more biodegradable. These new plastics decompose more quickly when exposed to heat or light.
Inflatable air sacs or pillows
- Amazon uses a lot of these inflatable air packs, and they are great because they are very, very thin and light weight, but do fill the void in cartons effectively, which is a great way to reduce dunnage materials as well as reduce overall package weight.
- Most are made from post consumer recycled materials.
If you are interested in creating a supply chain with sustainability in mind, we can help!
As a part of our Brand Strategy services, we can analyze your product and help connect you with shipping products that are both sustainable and affordable.
Reach out!
