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Five Reasons Why Shopify Ecommerce Businesses Should Switch To Eco-Friendly Packaging

An ecommerce box of sunglasses with the words azumith by new eyes.

The issue of sustainability is becoming a priority for many people, especially in the business world. Most companies aim to become more sustainable and reduce the adverse effect of their business activities on the environment.

By becoming a green business, they can help safeguard the environment and do their part to develop a healthy planet. It starts with small steps such as reducing energy consumption, adopting a circular economy, using sustainable custom mailer boxes, and reducing waste generation—or more calculated efforts like developing sustainability initiatives for the business's day-to-day operation.

Business owners can contribute to sustainability by using eco-friendly packaging. The term eco-friendly packaging refers to packaging materials designed to be environmentally friendly. It has no adverse effects on the environment. Common examples of eco-friendly packaging include:

  • Recyclable materials: Materials that can be reused and reprocessed to reduce the need for virgin raw materials
  • Biodegradable materials: Materials that break down into non-toxic materials
  • Compostable materials: Materials that break down into materials that are good for the soil

Reasons to Switch to Eco-friendly Packaging

Here are some reasons to switch to eco-friendly packaging

Waste Reduction

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that American industries generate and dispose of about 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste annually. This value can be considerably reduced if more companies develop their product packaging with sustainability. Switching to eco-friendly packaging can help you reduce your business contribution to landfills in several ways.

For instance, designing your product packaging to be recycled after usage will reduce the possibility of it being disposed of after usage, leading to lower waste generation. You could also design it reusable, so the customer converts it to other uses instead of dumping it. 

Cost Savings

Eco-friendly packaging can help businesses to save money due to increased efficiency in supply chain management. This allows companies to save costs during production, storage, and transportation. Also, eco-friendly packaging materials are usually less expensive than conventional ones because they are made from renewable materials and are more efficiently produced. Even more interesting, a company that employs recycled packaging materials for other production purposes will spend less as they are usually cheaper than acquiring virgin raw materials.

While the upfront cost of switching to eco-packaging materials can be slightly higher than traditional materials, the long-term cost savings due to lower production, transportation, and waste disposal costs makes this a cost-effective option for businesses.

Attracting Eco-Friendly Customers

Even customers are beginning to realize the importance of sustainability. They are willing to back their desire for sustainability with their wallet. A Business of Sustainability Index survey revealed that 66 percent of US consumers prefer eco-friendly brands and are willing to pay more for sustainable products. This implies that you could improve your edge over competitors in the market simply by switching to eco-friendly packaging.

It can help you to build a positive brand reputation as a socially responsible and environmentally conscious company and impress customers who value sustainability. When consumers appreciate a company's commitment to sustainability, they may recommend it to others, leading to positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Meeting Regulations

The government isn't out either; they are increasingly enacting regulations and formulating laws to encourage businesses to embrace sustainability. Switching to eco-friendly packaging puts you on the right track to meet these regulations and avoid any potential violation of the law. 

Reducing Carbon Footprints

Compared to conventional packaging, eco-packaging has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of your business. Using lesser raw materials translates to lesser greenhouse gasses released during production. Also, eco-friendly packing to make packaging that weighs less can help the company reduce the impact on the environment during transportation to customers. 

Conclusion

Adopting eco-friendly packaging helps you to become a more sustainable company. It demonstrates that the company strives to do its part for the environment by reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting sustainability. However, switching to eco-packaging may be daunting, but there are a few steps that you can use to make the transition easier. You can start by researching eco-friending materials best suited for the business and gradually make the green shift to minimize the impact on your business operation.

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