Having a stamp indicating that your packaging materials are eco-friendly on your product is very important. If you're not doing this, you may have lost more than a quarter of your customers already.
FSC is a global certification system that provides forest management and chain of custody certificates.
Before these certificates are issued, FSC must have checked the way packaging materials are sourced and used. This means your consumers are confident about what they are buying.
Here in Arka, all our products are FSC certified, and this is part of our commitment to sustaining our environment. Our customers are confident because they know we source our packaging materials reasonably.
Why Choose Sustainable Packaging
Consumers are more aware of the social and environmental impact of packaging materials their retailers choose. At least 64 percent of consumer believes retailers are not doing enough to introduce environmentally friendly packaging. The truth is, the materials a brand uses for its packaging had never been more scrutinized.
As a retailer, this is a time your brand must clearly state its commitment to preserving the environment or risk losing out to competitors who are doing so. Sustainable packaging is part of most brand's social responsibility.
Hence, sustainable packaging is very important, and here's why we think you should choose sustainable packaging materials.
Sustainable packaging is now the yardstick for measuring your brand's credibility at both internal and external levels. Customers prefer to do business with brands that are looking out for their safety.
As talk about the impact of human activities on the environment continues to intensify, customers want to see you use eco-friendly materials for packaging.
Product packaging has shifted from being just about slick designs, and creative boxes. If your business is not making a bold statement about its stand on environmental health, it is time to review your packaging strategy.
More so, sustainable packaging helps you optimize resources. Using paper/cardboard for packaging means you're working with fewer resources. This will reduce the time and energy you spend on packing your product.
Sustainable packaging has a positive impact on your supply chain. Firstly, the use of simple renewable materials ensures that there's space in your warehouse. You don't have to hire more hands to get things done, and that's not all.
Sustainable packaging saves you money on all fronts. These materials are acquired at a relatively low price, and they even produce lightweight packaging. This means you'll be saving extra on shipping your products.
It also ensures that your packaging follows state regulations. Unlike other packaging that involves processes or materials that are prohibited, sustainable packaging ensures your entire packaging process is clean and optimized.
Sustainable packaging also affects your brand's public image positively. The fact that you source your product responsibly can be the major reason why a customer will purchase from you.
It is now considered a form of corporate social responsibility. Brands like Walmart have introduced a new leadership role for sustainability in their business.
Additionally, sustainable packaging leads to an increase in sales. A survey conducted by Procarton reported that 77 percent of respondents say they're willing to pay extra for eco-friendly packaging. Above all, using this type of packaging is also a way of telling your consumers that you sourced your packaging materials reasonably.
What are Managed Forests?
Managed forests are places that are either created or controlled to meet the growing demands of forest products.
These forests may belong to private owners, local communities, or the Government of a nation. And managing these forest areas is necessary to ensure that forest resources are not overused.
Managed forests undergo certifications to ensure that growing, harvesting, and replanting are as sustainable as possible. These practices are geared towards the sustainability of forest resources. Popular forest certification is the FSC certification.
Managed forests produce more than half of eco-friendly materials used for packaging. This is true since about 30 percent of all forests are used to produce wood and other materials like paper/cardboard. In fact, in most managed forests, trees are specifically grown to facilitate paper production.
The rationale behind creating such forests is to guarantee that there are enough forest resources to meet today's demand and future use. In a managed forest, not every tree can be used, and there's always a replacement for every tree that is uprooted.
Implications For Packaging
The growing popularity of managed forests and issuance of FSC certifications is changing the face of packaging. Today, the choice of packaging materials is no longer as spontaneous as it used to be. Even if there's a place for such, there are now many reasons why you don't want to try it.
Managed forest certifications now ensure that there is strict compliance with regards to the choice of packaging materials. According to a report, 8 in 10 consumers expect brands to ensure that the wood or paper products they sell do not contribute to deforestation.
Consumers know what managed forests provide. In fact, they know you don't have to cut just any tree.
Hence, managed forests are teaching consumers to expect more from the brands they buy from. In this situation, the brand now has to ensure that its packaging is made from quality renewable materials.
More so, managed forests are making biodegradable and recyclable packaging materials available. Using these materials for packaging places a necessary duty on brands. It is now the responsibility of the brand to ensure that packaging materials are disposed of properly.
Additionally, customers are aware that brands don't have to always cut down trees. They can reuse their packaging. And since this reduces the number of trees that will be lost, customers form a good impression about brands that practice reusability.
The fact that plastic or metal materials are no longer fashionable for packaging shows how managed forests have revolutionized packaging. The truth is, with any of the two, you'll be telling a bad story about your brand.
How Sustainable Packaging has Affected the Packaging Industry
Sustainable packaging is almost mainstream, and there are many reasons for that.
From avoiding government sanctions to building a positive brand image, and improving customer satisfaction, this packaging permeates every aspect of the business.
Today, you don't even have to worry about getting your packaging right. Companies like Arka offer excellent packaging options, and that's not all.
Arka practices 100% sustainable packaging. Our packaging products are reusable, compatible, and environmentally friendly.
Companies like Arka are ready for the future. If you're still doubting that sustainable packaging is both the present and the future, here are few trends in packaging that have resulted from the need for sustainability.
1. More Business Will Adopt Sustainable Packaging
In the last few years, several brands publicly announced their plans to make their packaging more sustainable. One area that most businesses promised to address is the use of plastic packaging.
This year, we expect more businesses to do the same as companies risk losing their social license for using plastics if they do not find a way to recover them and prevent them from polluting the environment.
Now more than ever, government agencies are more concerned about the impact of packaging on the environment. It is a lot safer to practice sustainable packaging than otherwise.
With more businesses taking up sustainability, there's no doubt that new methods and ideas will find their way into the packaging industry.
Sustainable packaging has come to stay, and the earlier you realize it, the better for the business. Arka understands what this means, and that's why our packaging is sourced responsibly.
2. Reduction in Substrates
Sustainability is simply the use of safe, creative, and reusable packaging. In a bid to achieve this, companies must explore several alternatives.
For instance, we have seen an increase in the use of paper-based solutions, as well as other compostable, reusable substrates. The fact that they're reusable makes them safer than having to introduce a new substrate for each packaging.
While companies try to improve packaging, there's always a risk of introducing something negative.
The truth is, we cannot be too sure of the toxicity of certain materials we use. There's every chance that sustainable packaging isn't as sustainable as you think.
The sustainable packaging coalition maintains that each packaging design decision must consider carbon and other environmental impacts to avoid creating more problems while trying to achieve recyclability.
3. Focus on Reusability
According to the New Plastic Economy's Global Commitment, reusability is the main ingredient in sustainable packaging. In terms of the waste hierarchy, reusability ranks higher than recycling.
The entire packaging industry is looking for how to maximize the opportunities in reusable packaging.
Unilever has announced its plan to scale up reuse business models and they're not alone. E-commerce startups are using reusable shipping models to limit paperboard packaging, and replace it with efficient logistics models that work beyond business-to-business (B2B).
Reusability puts your business in a position to maximize packaging materials. It is safe, efficient, and less expensive.
Arka is committed to providing you with quality reusable packaging. You can get them in different sizes, and quantities.
4. Focus on Quality of Packaging Materials
It is not only your final packaging that is scrutinized daily, your packaging materials are not left out. And it is not just customers that are evaluating your product packaging.
The importance of environmental protection has made packaging a subject among scientists. Today, material health is now very important to everyone out there.
According to the announcement made by the How2Recyle, the packaging is not yet received if the business deliberately adds per- and/or poly-fluoroalkyl substances or PFAS to it.
PFAS are chemicals that may increase the longevity of a product packaging. However, the use of such chemicals may impact the environment negatively.
In Europe, several regulations limiting the use of such chemicals have been discussed, and soon they'll be implemented. Sooner or later companies will stop making PFAS for packaging.
5. More Recycled Content
Many suppliers have keyed into using recycled content from post-consumer and post-industrial sources for packaging. We expect that fewer new materials will be used in future packaging.
Brands are aware that the use of recycled content can help them achieve their sustainable packaging goals, and they don't mind investing in this area.
For example, companies like Total, Nestle, and Mars are partnering to develop oil from mixed flexible packaging that will be used to produce new polymers.
6. Less Packaging
Have you noticed that most new product packaging is designed using the exact size of the product? Truth is, you're not the only one that has noticed this.
The use of less packaging for a product is as important as the decision to package the product.
If you don't get it, you may lose a lot in the market. I'm talking about losing your own money as a result of waste or paying so much for shipping.
Even if you sell your products, you may not be able to balance your books at the end of the day.
As the number of packaging waste continues to rise, companies are looking for effective ways to package their product.
One of such is dimensional packaging which reduces packaging waste significantly. It allows you to use computer systems to choose the right width, size, length, and height of your product packaging.
With this type of packaging, the shipping company and you can agree on the accurate shipping cost for your products. It also saves you money, while helping you maximize your resources.
Conclusion
Now that you have seen how your choice of packaging materials can affect your business. We expect a positive response from you. However, we also understand that such decisions require time, so we're not in haste.
Sustainable packaging is the new face of packaging globally, and who says you can't have it right away? Ensuring that your products are FSC certified is one way to win more. Start now and be a leading brand tomorrow.
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