With Earth Hour (27 March) coming up in just over a week’s time, there will once again be a spotlight on issues such as sustainability and eco-friendly solutions for a good reason — more than 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced around the world yearly. The vast majority is of course single-use, non-compostable plastic that winds up in landfills or in our oceans, and needless to say, the average lifespan of plastic is anywhere between 450 to 1000 years which means it takes an extremely long time for the plastic to break down. Adopting plastic alternatives can be a brand’s first step towards sustainability, and at the same time, appeal to consumers’ growing need for environmentally-friendly options.
Plastic is Everywhere
In our plastic-filled world, avoiding plastic can be pretty challenging. Look around you, plastic is found in everyday items from bottles to packaging, computers, fabrics and more. Especially for brand owners, plastic seems to be inevitable in our everyday lives, and yet the emphasis on environmental sustainability is ever increasing. How then can we reconcile this to get the best of both worlds — reduce our plastic usage for the environmentally-conscious and still provide the necessary services?
Why Sustainability is Important
One impressive brand I’ve come across over the years is By Invite Only. Realising how crucial their role is in ensuring sustainability, By Invite Only has eliminated all plastic packaging and neutralises all shipping emissions. They take it as a long term commitment to the environment and customers.
Millennials are at the forefront of the sustainable movement that’s changing consumer behaviour for good. 61% of millennials would be willing to pay more for sustainable products as opposed to 55% for Gen X and 46% of baby boomers. Just like why consumers would prefer to shop at By Invite Only, brand owners should start to look beyond plastic and offer eco-friendly packaging as an option.
What’s in it for my brand?
If you’re worrying about how the cost of switching to alternative eco-friendly packaging here are reasons why you should:
1. Consumers actually want sustainability!
Millenials make up the vast majority of heavy consumers. Millennials are also more likely than any other generation to pay for sustainable products.
2. Weighing the cost
Remember the bio-poly mailer bags I mentioned earlier in this blog post? Each piece goes at roughly $0.17 per piece. Compared to the market rates of your usual poly mailer bags of similar sizes (going at $0.23 per piece), it’s actually cheaper! If you can make a difference in the environment by using more eco-friendly products and save cost, why not?
3. Branding
You can create positive perceptions of your brand! Just imagine, your brand integrating sustainability practices into your business. Your loyal customers get to know about it and they will share it with those around them. Those who hear about your practices and support your efforts, will buy from your brand.
Alternatives to Plastic Packaging
Thankfully, alternatives to plastic packaging have been slowly popping up over the years. Completely avoiding plastic may be difficult, but adopting eco-friendly products is doable.
Check out our suggested alternatives you can use in your business:
1. Bio-poly mailers
Bio-poly mailers are probably one of the most popular sustainable alternatives. Depending on your supplier, the bio-poly mailer may have different properties. Bio-poly mailers are made from plant-based materials as opposed to the usual petroleum-based plastic, making them as reliable as shipping mailers.
Locally, we have Telobag which provides these bio-poly mailers. Not only are these bio-poly mailers plastic-free, it can go through natural degradation by microorganisms. Especially for blog shop owners, using regular poly mailers to send customers their orders might be a necessity for your business. But can you imagine the amount of waste and the environmental footprint we’re contributing to the environment? Luckily, with such inventions and progress in technology, plant-based (cassava starch) materials can replace our one-time use poly mailers.
2. Paper envelopes/ boxes
Sometimes brands like yourselves might want to go with other options such as paper envelopes or boxes. Or if you are considering trying other types of packaging altogether, consider paper packaging.
For example, as a company big on environmental sustainability, Packink makes the process of designing boxes and sustainable packaging super easy. In fact, Packink’s mailer boxes are redesigned to reduce materials waste, while its durability is strengthened by using premium Japanese-grade kraft paper.
However, we know bulky packaging can cost extra to deliver items to your customers so you can also consider large-sized paper envelopes by Envelopes. They carry a whole range of eco-friendly paper packaging for you to consider under the “Envirolopes” branding which is the name given to a group of Envelopes and Postal Packaging products made solely from environmentally-friendly material.
3. Bagasse
If you’re shipping boxes or containers, why not take a look at bagasse? Bagasse is the by-product of sugarcane processing. The best part? Bagasse, having similar properties to polystyrene can be moulded into different forms of packaging.
Mostly used in the food industry, bagasse containers like these can be used for other types of packaging as well. It’s a great alternative in terms of both price (around $0.22) and sturdy quality. You can check out variations of containers by Biopak here and also read about their biodegradable packaging efforts. Although the examples of packaging you see on Biopak comes in fixed shapes, ordering a larger quantity can allow you to customise the shape. Alternatively, take this chance to be creative about the way you package your products and surprise your customers!
In light of Earth Hour happening next week, it will be good to reflect on our actions and take this chance to upgrade to eco-friendly practices. Alternatives to packaging have been popping up over the years and are likely to become more popular over time. To attract more businesses, customisations are definitely available at a low cost. As a brand, it would be great to hop on such trends to keep up with your community’s wants and contribute to the environment at the same time — and rightfully so with the benefits such efforts can bring. Lastly, the branding opportunity that this eco-friendly initiative presents could help your brand to better connect and engage with your consumers in the long-run.
