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Are you reassessing your company’s packaging products and shipping needs? As more and more companies look for sustainable packaging alternatives, it may be wise to optimise your shipping processes too.
In this article, we highlight alternative shipping options that will help to reduce your environmental impact.
What is sustainability?
In a nutshell, sustainability is about the relationship between people, and the planet, and how we meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. At its core, sustainability is about making sure businesses can sustain their operations for the future—environmentally, socially, and economically. It's not just about green-washing; it's about adopting practices that are beneficial to these key pillars and can be sustained in the future.
Three pillars of sustainability
To be considered sustainable, an initiative, organisation, or product must take all three of the following three pillars into account:- Environmental sustainability
- Social sustainability
- Economic sustainability
When each of these pillars is in balance, the Sustainable Business Model achieves positive impact, commercial viability, and readiness for the future. In other words, you cannot have sustainability without all three components.
Difference between renewable and sustainable
Renewable resources are created and replenished naturally while sustainable resources meet both the short and long-term needs of a society. Therefore, some renewable resources are sustainable but some, such as nuclear energy, are not.
Sustainable business initiatives
What can your business do to be more sustainable? On top of sustainable packaging processes, sustainable initiatives can have a significant impact on your company’s environmental impact.
Sustainable Choice Packaging
Our Sustainable Choice logo is designed to indicate which of our packaging products are compostable, degradable, biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable. This helps customers to know exactly how to dispose of their packaging and reduces unnecessary waste.
Plastic Recycling Scheme NZ
We work with the team at Future Post to convert our waste plastics into durable fence posts. This way, our used packaging has a new lease of life and less goes to our landfills each year.
You can find more ideas and like-minded business owners through the Sustainable Business Network.
How sustainable is your current packaging?
Before changing anything in your shipping process, take some time to assess how recyclable and sustainable your current packaging is. Talk to your supplier about whether it can be reused, recycled, or composted and, if not, it likely isn’t sustainable.
As a general rule, we recommend making small adjustments at a time, to ease your warehouse staff into the new packaging process. However, to make the biggest difference, try to find alternatives for the most frequently used and most wasted items in your packaging. For example, pallet wrap and stock cartons are often a great place to start.
Sustainable packaging NZ
Looking for sustainable packaging supplies? At Primepac, we have a wide selection of sustainable packaging, from tapes and courier bags to pallet wrap and protective eco bubble wrap.
Compostable packaging
The term ‘compostable’ refers to a product that is made only of organic matter and can be broken down by natural microbes to leave only Carbon Dioxide, inorganic compounds, biomass, and water. In the right conditions, the composting process will take from a few weeks to a few months.
Examples of compostable packaging include:
Recyclable packaging
Recyclable packaging refers to any product or material that can be treated and processed to be reused or repurposed. To ensure your customers dispose of these products correctly, you must display the recycling instructions clearly on each item.
Examples of recyclable packaging include:
Recycled packaging
Recycled packaging refers to products that are made of recycled materials. Some of these items can be recycled again and again, achieving a sustainable loop of recycling.
Examples of recycled packaging include:
PCR and PIR
The Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) and Post Industrial Recycled (PIR) movements are seeing more and more products made with recycled materials. If you see PCR or PIR on your products, that means the material composition includes at least some recycled content.
For example, the Grip Film Eco pallet wrap contains 30% post-industrial recycled content.
Biodegradable packaging
Biodegradable products do not require oxygen to break down and therefore don’t need to be processed in a composting facility. Biodegradable products break down into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass, which is much kinder to the environment than commonly used plastics that fill our landfills and oceans.
Common types of biodegradable packaging include:
To remain competitive and adapt to changing environmental laws, you need to understand your role in the sustainability movement. No matter what industry you’re in, it’s time to assess your packaging products and opt for sustainable alternatives instead. To find out more about your options, download our Sustainable Supplies catalogue today.
