Waste from packaging is a big problem for many businesses. It’s one that can be difficult to manage completely when you don’t have control over what your customers do with your packaging. You also can’t choose what packaging your suppliers use, which can leave you with packaging that you have to throw away.
Reducing packaging waste not only makes your business more eco-friendly, but it also helps you to save money by ensuring you only use the packaging that you really need. By reducing your waste from packaging, you can please your customers too, helping them to reduce their own waste
Keep Packaging to a Minimum
You can start by keeping packaging to a minimum. Many businesses use more packaging than is really necessary, sometimes so they don’t need to buy too many sizes or types of packaging. But customers can be annoyed by a small item in a large box, surrounded by paper or other packing materials. It can be useful if you have a choice of packaging options so that the best packaging can be matched to different orders. The less packaging you use in the first place, the less waste will be generated by the orders you put together.
Choose Recyclable Materials
Switching to recyclable materials is a step that businesses of all kinds are taking to reduce packaging waste. It’s often an easy thing to do, and there are usually recyclable alternatives to most of the packaging that you might be using. If you use packaging that can be widely recycled, your customers can recycle it themselves or return it to you to recycle. You can recycle any surplus packaging or whatever you no longer need. Try to choose suppliers that use recyclable packaging too.
Use Reusable Packaging
As well as being recycled, packaging can also often be reused. Reusable packaging could be reused by your customers, or it could be returned to you so that your business can use it again. Moulded foam products offer one option for reusable packaging that will help to cut down on waste. You can use foam packaging for various applications, and it is often used in the automotive industry. It can also be recycled so that after it has been used, it can be disposed of in an eco-friendly way too. If your customers can reuse your packaging, encourage them to make use of it in different ways.
Train Your Staff in Efficient Packaging
One of the ways you can reduce packaging is by ensuring your staff knows how to properly pack your products. A little training can help them to pack more efficiently so that they use less packaging, while also ensuring they pack orders safely and quickly. Giving training to new workers and refreshing the knowledge of existing employees will help to ensure everyone has the same skills. Reducing waste will help to cut down on the cost of shipping too.
Start reducing packaging waste for your business with these methods, and you could save money while being green.
