Sustainability has become an important concern and a practice to adopt for both consumers and brands.
Especially millennials are actively forcing brands to become responsible socially.
The growing concern and interest of buyers towards preferring usage of eco-friendly packaging is now turning into something more than just a buzzword. Today, 37% of consumers in the US alone give priority to buying products that are packed in sustainable packaging. Such a shift in the opinion of consumers around packaging has necessitated brands to go for packaging boxes that are made from eco-friendly materials. Day by day, sustainable packaging is becoming a cornerstone for loyalty towards a brand.
What is sustainable packaging about?
Sustainable packaging is packaging that results in a reduced environmental impact over the usage of less sustainable options. The use of sustainable materials in creating new packaging options is thought to have a positive impact on the environment.
In practice, this is done by:
- Usage of 100% recycled materials
- I am striving to minimize the supply chain, processes of production, and carbon footprint.
- By extending the life cycle and usability of the packaging with the creation of a circulating economy.
Simply put, eco-packaging is entirely about the environment. While also considering economic and social factors.
Why Going for Sustainability in Packaging is Important
People themselves are realizing the importance of packaging that should not badly impact the environment. Also, a surge has gone up among consumers using social media to post tweets and posts online, addressing big consumer goods companies such as Amazon and others to go for 100% eco-friendly packaging.
But this is not just for end-consumers. Large corporations like Unilever Australia are putting pressure on the Australian government. Unilever has demanded the government do more work in the battle against plastic pollution.
And if such big corporations can question and force governments to take action, then this clearly means that:
- Big corporations need to build a public image that’s positive in terms of environmental concerns.
- Consumers want to associate more with brands that show responsibility for the environment.
- This situation will naturally put more pressure on smaller brands to adopt sustainable packaging practices.
But that doesn’t mean it’s costly to do so, nor that brands will have to compromise on their packaging’s form and function.
What does it mean to have sustainable design in packaging?
It means designing product packaging boxes with the main aim of causing as little harm to the environment as possible.
Recycled material can help a lot in doing this. It can also be done by designing your packaging with some other purpose in mind.
For example, H&M (a clothing retail brand) transformed their shopping bags into clothes hangers. Interestingly, not only are these bags made from less material than their traditional plastic-made bags, but the paper material is up to 80% recycled.
H&M knows its demographic, which means they have most consumers aged between eighteen and thirty-five. And people in this age range care a lot about environmental sustainability. The indirect benefit was that this idea of’sustainability in terms of usability’ increased brand loyalty amongst their target customers.
Two Worth Mentioning Examples
We’ll look at some brands that have done a tremendously good job of going for sustainable packaging.
- Sheyn (a Vienna-based jewelry brand) focused on simple yet graceful design. By using innovative technology, their production became fully sustainable. Sheyn used a mailer box made from 80% recycled Kraft material. In turn, their customers get a memorable unboxing experience based on their packaging.
- A UK-based brand, Origin X Performance, induced sustainable practice in all aspects of their sportswear business. Every garment is shipped in a branded mailing box, which is fully sustainable. These bags are made from natural and biodegradable ingredients. These bags are also as tough and durable as plastics that are recyclable and other plastic alternatives.
Now you know why eco-conscious packaging is so crucial to building a thriving relationship with customers who care for the environment. This change is soon going to be a big global change, and every brand should be part of it to show its credibility as a responsible entity.
