Recycling, degrading, and repurposing are the factors of packaging that have been under the lens for the past few years, ever since the environmental impacts of product packaging have been brought to light. This shift of focus brought companies to innovative and creative ways of shaping their product packaging to fit into environmental parameters of wellbeing. Although a challenging one, this step has been very welcomed on the consumers’ end. The next step in bio-friendly packaging is how to overcome the limitations of designing and customization. A balance between design and sustainability of packaging is two birds killed with one stone! With current advancements in the technological world, it is more than possible to merge eco-friendly packaging and bold branding.
In this article we shall discuss the different strategies brought to utilization by companies to help sustain the welfare of the environment:
The perfect example of thinking out of the box is how Carlsberg, a global beer brand, decided to roll out beer packs of four attached not with plastic rings but using adhesive glue back in 2018. The Snap Pack, as named by the company, was created after the conduction of 4000 different adhesive tests to find the perfect one that melts during the combustion process of recycling.
This change not only removes the plastic waste but also improves user experience, where the ease of a snap is preferred over the hassle of a plastic ring by everyone. Another innovation on the verge by Carlsberg is their green fiber bottles, made from wood fiber allowing recycling and biodegradation. The company looks forward to leaving a next-to-none carbon footprint.
Caring about the body and its environment is what Callaly calls out through its packaging adaptation. The company manufactures period products for women, that steer clear of the typical, boring and stereotypical design and packaging. With the simplicity of three soft colors, blue, yellow, and pink, in completely compostable packaging, Callaly has won numerous hearts.
Although the company aims to play its part in full, the UK waste disposal does not deal with compostable wastes; this brings us to question if we can truly achieve our environmental goals if not all of us are playing equal parts.
Wagamama has been an absolute saint to the environment with its takeaway food packaging. Aiming to deliver that restaurant feeling, Wagamama presents customers with their food in containers of plastic that can be used up to 100 times before exhaustion, thereafter ready for recycle. The team behind the idea tested several materials for the preservation of food and temperature to their destination before coming up with their current packaging.
We rent different things throughout our lifetime, so why not do the same with packaging? You might be wondering how. Your answer is simply answered by the services of Loop, a channel through which consumers ‘rent’ their favorite brands with an extra deposit and have them delivered. This deposit is later returned when the reusable packaging is cleaned and redistributed to the manufacturers for a refill. The idea may appear absurd with disposable packaging but can be practical if the items are borrowed.
Sustainable packaging can be brought forth in different ways. Either merge it in the production process, make it a part of your packaging materials or join forces with companies that make sure your packaging is taken care of after consumer utilization, like Loop, all efforts are appreciated by customers and guaranteed to build your business in several ways.
