Eco-Friendly Product Packaging Tips

As the effects of global warming become more obvious across the globe, many consumers have started to actively search for products that are eco-friendly or at least friendlier to the environment than their rivals.

This push toward eco-friendly products gives you the chance to make your products stand out from competing goods.

What You Can Do

While packaging generally accounts for less than 10 percent of a given product’s carbon footprint, it’s still an important component when it comes to making your products greener and more attractive to consumers. Here are some tips that can help you make your product packaging more eco-friendly:

Use Recycled Materials

One of the simplest things you can do to make your products greener is to use recycled materials to package them. Of course, this also makes it easy for shoppers to recycle your packaging, because it’s inherently recyclable, given what it’s made from.

Cardboard, paperboard and plastic are perfect examples of packaging materials that are recyclable and recycled for packaging purposes. If you’re not already using recycled materials for your product packages, talk to your packaging manufacturer about recycled and recyclable alternatives to the materials that are currently being used to package your goods.

Promote Recycling

Just because your packaging is recyclable doesn’t mean the end-users of your goods will recycle your product packages. They may not realize the packages are recyclable or it may simply not occur to them to put your packages in the appropriate bin instead of the trash.

You can alert people about the recyclable nature of your packaging and remind them to recycle it by adding the recycling symbol to your product containers. You can also offer a written entreaty for consumers to recycle with the words, “Please recycle.”

Your packaging isn’t the only tool you have to promote recycling. You can also use your website and promotional materials. You can briefly mention that your packages are made with recycled and recyclable materials and encourage consumers to follow your lead by recycling your containers on your website and in your printed materials.

You can use your company’s social media accounts to inform shoppers about your eco-friendly packaging and encourage them to do their part as well.

Create a New Product Package

To make your product packages eco-friendly, you may want to consider coming up with all-new packaging. This will give you the chance to look for opportunities to make packages that require fewer materials and need less space to be transported. The key here is to develop new packages without compromising the integrity of your goods.

Remember: your packages still have to protect your goods and motivate consumers to buy and use your products. Be sure your new eco-friendly packaging can still pull off these primary functions.

Encourage Consumption

Consumer use is normally responsible for a large portion of a product’s carbon footprint. With this in mind, it’s important for your packages to encourage people to consume your products. Your packages must also preserve what’s inside them long enough for shoppers to be able to consume your goods.

At Phase 1 Prototypes, we have the skills necessary to create package mockups for you. If you’re uncertain which recycled materials you want to use or you’re unsure how a newly designed package will perform, we can create prototypes for you that can help you make the right decisions about your product packages. You don’t have to order a minimum number of mockups when you work with us, which makes testing multiple packages affordable.

For more information about our services, contact Phase 1 Prototypes today.

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