The demand for eco-friendly packaging options is on the rise these days. People are trying to do whatever they can to help the environment and packaging is one of the areas that has produced many eco-friendly options. With the increase in popularity of online shopping, using eco-friendly packaging supplies is more important than ever.

Companies are now considering ways that they can make their packaging more eco-friendly. Although investing in eco-friendly packaging can be a little more expensive, many benefits out-weigh the cost. Besides reducing your eco-footprint, switching to eco-friendly packaging options will have your brand be seen as a contentious company that cares about the planet. Doing this could incentive customers to switch to your product, thus increasing your sales. Who doesn’t want that?

Let’s explore eight eco-friendly packaging options that you can consider using in your business.

Option #1: Reusable Eco-Friendly Bags

Reusable bags are not just bags we buy to replace plastic bags when we go grocery shopping. They are also a great eco-friendly packaging option. These bags are made from fewer raw materials and can be reused as many times as you’d like. A good example of a company using this is Puma.

What they do, instead of putting the shoes in a big box, is they use a reusable bag instead. Puma estimates that these bags “save more than 60% of water, energy and diesel compared to traditional bag manufacturing processes”.

Now when customers buy their shoes, they no longer have to throw the box away – they can hold onto the reusable bag and reuse it as many times as they like.

Option #2: Newspaper Egg Cartons

Newspaper egg cartons take eco-friendly packaging options one step further. With this idea, created by Marian Obando, one sheet of discarded newspaper makes one basic egg carton. Not only does this packaging option reduce the need for traditional packaging, but it also recycles discarded newspaper.

Obando achieves this design by folding the newspaper into a square basket with a piece of newspaper tucked under the bottom as protective cushioning. A strip of cardstock is wrapped around the egg carton to keep everything in place.

Option #3: Biodegradable Packaging Peanuts

This is a great alternative to expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). EPS is not biodegradable or recyclable. It often finds its way into our waterways, which obviously has a negative impact on marine life and the environment as a whole.

Choosing a biodegradable option is so much better for the earth and works the same way Styrofoam works, so you’re not missing out on the benefits of Styrofoam. It’s a no-brainer that this is the way to go.

Option #4: Recycled Cardboard and Paper

Recycled cardboard and paper are one of the most recycled materials available today. By using recycled materials over new materials, you’re doing the environment a favour by not contributing to the manufacturing of these materials.

It’s not a lot more expensive to switch to recycled cardboard and paper and they’re pretty easy to get. Consider using this eco friendly packaging option for your business; we bet both you and your customers will be happy you did.

Option #5: Air Pillows Made of Recycled Materials

Air pillows made of recycled materials are inflatable air pillows which are an eco-friendly alternative to things like bubble wrap and Styrofoam. These air pillows are inflatable, which means they consist primarily of air.

This eco-friendly packaging option cuts down on having to use bubble wrap and Styrofoam, reduces the amount of plastic used, is created from recycled materials, can be reused, recycled, and are biodegradable. Talk about eco-friendly!

Option #6: Eco-friendly Plastic and Recycled Plastics

If your business can’t get around using plastic in some instances, you can still go the eco-friendly route by purchasing and using plastic that is from 100% recycled plastic. No matter what type of packaging you need, you can find it in an eco-friendly, recycled plastic format.

Option #7: Paper Bottles

The outer shells of paper bottles are made from recycled cardboard and newspaper, and a thin, recycled plastic liner inside. L’Oreal-owned company Seed Phytonutrients, which makes organic bath and body products, is one of the companies using this design, created by the company Ecologic. They came up with a water-resistant paper bottle that holds up when kept in the shower.

Rather than using glue, they used an interlocking design that’s surprisingly just as sturdy as regular plastic bottles. A bonus is that to ship these, they can nest them together, which makes them more efficient to transport than regular plastic bottles.

Option #8: Corrugated Bubble Wrap

Regular bubble wrap is not very eco-friendly. As a result, companies are trying to come up with viable alternatives. One of these is a bubble wrap that is made from up-cycled corrugated cardboard. To produce an effect that protects against shocks, small cuts are made in the corrugated bubble wrap, making it just as good as regular bubble wrap.

Try out some of these eco-friendly packaging options for your business as a way to reduce your eco-footprint.