Packaging is used to protect a product. It is important not to compromise the safety of the product by improving the environmental credentials of the packaging so drastically that: the contents become unfit for consumption; shelf life is shortened leading to more waste; or the item isn’t sufficiently protected. Businesses can do more to use less packaging, lower costs and reduce waste [1]. This article will suggest ways to improve packaging so that the impacts on the environment are lessened but the product remains protected.
Use less material
Using less material is relatively easy to do with proper thought and product design. It also lessens the cost of materials used as you will be using less, and in some instances packaging becomes lighter. This means that transport costs are reduced, as less transportation and thus fuel is required to move products around. Some ways to use less material are suggested below.
- Use less material by reducing the thickness and weight of packaging. This can be done by using lighter weight materials. Sturdy packaging is not always necessary if the product is only making one trip i.e. from shop to home.
- Assess the number of layers to your packaging. Are they all necessary? If not, take some out.
- Make sure your packaging fits the contents. More often than not, there are unnecessary gaps which serve no fit purpose. Sometimes these gaps are filled with packing materials so the product inside isn’t damaged. If the packaging was the right size in the first place these packing materials would not be required.
- Consider printing directly onto packaging so extra labels aren’t needed.
- Speak to your packaging supplier, new innovations in more sustainable packaging are always being developed.
With improvements in the types of packaging that can now be recycled, this also means that you can increase the amount of recycled materials in your packaging. By incorporating recycled materials into your packaging you are inadvertently using less raw materials and are therefore reducing energy consumption from the start.
Use sustainable materials
The raw materials to make packaging are ultimately derived from natural sources. The table below shows examples of where certain packaging has its roots. Because raw materials use a lot of energy to gather them and convert them into packaging, it is even more important that the materials come from sustainable sources.
| Packaging | Where it comes from | Sustainability issues |
| Cardboard, paper and wood | Forests | Illegal logging, unsustainable forestry, FSC certification |
| Plastics | Oil | A non-renewable and carbon heavy resource. Huge amounts of energy are used to abstract oil from the ground. |
| Bio-plastics | Intensive cropping | Environmental degradation, land clearance, high chemical inputs such as fertiliser and pesticides. |
| Metals | Mined from the ground | Mines in developing countries can have terrible working conditions for miners, mining has huge energy and water usage. |
Source: Woodman-Hardy (2010)
Make it reusable
This is a good thing to do from an environmental perspective. If packaging is reusable then it can mean using fewer raw materials, less packaging going to landfill or incineration and no energy being used for recycling [2]. If you choose to have reusable packaging, there are several points to consider:
- Ensure the packaging is cleaned properly
- Reuse packaging for the same product
- Consider how packaging will be reclaimed and reused, including transportation.
- Ensure you have a reuse plan and that it is adhered to. This will minimise non-returns and single use.
Make it recyclable
Most local authorities have invested in proper recycling facilities either by providing bins at local supermarkets or incorporating recycling into their own refuse collections. Therefore, it is really important that your product can be recycled. It is a bonus that many more materials are now recyclable and should help in planning what packaging materials to use. Here are some ideas to ensure your packaging is recyclable:
- Try to make your packaging from a single material. Packaging made from multiple materials are notoriously difficult to recycle and use more energy in the process e.g. Tetra-Paks and mixed plastics.
- If there is space, ensure that the type of packaging is labelled on the outside of the product. This will aid sorting packaging when recycling.
- Advertise recycling on the outside of your product to encourage the consumer to recycle the packaging.
References
[1] Business Link (2010) Packaging and the environment – the basics http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1082980567&type=RESOURCES
[2] Reduce Reuse Recycle (2006) Soil Association
Other useful links
Incpen http://www.incpen.org/displayarticle.asp?a=17&c=2
Welsh Assembly Government http://fs4b.wales.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?site=230&itemId=1082988498&type=RESOURCES
Unilever http://www.unilever.com/sustainability/environment/packaging/issues/
Defra http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/packaging/index.htm
WRAP http://www.wrap.org.uk/retail/the_guide_to_evolving_packaging_design/index.html
