Eco-friendly packaging

What is eco friendly packaging? Biodegradable materials are considered green. Materials are eco friendly if they can be recycled or reused. Businesses connect to customers when they use eco friendly products. Materials that are considered environmentally friendly include: recycled glass and biodegradable, plastics manufactured from corn. Creative methods that turn old products into something new are being discovered daily. Streamlined, well-designed products and packaging make for better products.

Consumers are willing to pay a little more for eco friendly packaging. Companies realize that their brand value is enhanced when they use greener products. Consumers feel better about companies they believe forfeit profit to preserve the earth’s resources. Eco friendly packaging may be made from recycling paper. Biodegradable plastics, metal and glass are greener products. Any product that minimized waste and is re-useable is considered green.

Apple uses fully recyclable packaging materials for its products. They are helping to reduce the environmental impact with the use of PaperFoam. They have reduced the packaging to be as small as possible to fit the product. In doing so more products may be shipped at a time saving transportation costs as well.

The US Post Office is on board with eco friendly packaging. They have achieved Cradle to Cradle for their packaging. Shipping boxes and envelopes are recyclable. They are also manufactured using less energy and water resources.

Newton Running a Boulder based company has found alternative eco friendly packaging for its shoeboxes. Their shoeboxes are made of 100% recycled material. They are also shaped to fit the shoe. There is no need for tissue paper. They insert a pair of socks and a shoe bag into the shoes to keep their shape.

Chalone Vineyard is a pioneer in the eco friendly packaging industry. They ship their vintage Syrah’s in cases made from recycled paper. In fact, they use old papers that are generated from their offices in the manufacture of the cases.

Packaging peanut is now being made that dissolves in water and are compostable. Not only do these peanuts protect your product they don’t damage the environment. Corn is also being used to make eco plastics in place of petroleum.

 What can you do as an individual to save on material used in packaging?

• The furoshiki is a very stylish Japanese way to present a give. A furoshiki is just fabric or a scarf. A fabric tied around a package instead of wrapping with paper. Even wine bottles can be artfully wrapped in a furoshiki. When you present a gift wrapped in fabric you may start a chain of reuse.
• Save the packaging material when you purchase an item. Reuse the packaging the next time you need to ship something.