CAN ECO friendly packaging design be the new alternative?
How to be more Eco-Friendly in terms of Packaging?
The most important innovation in the packaging industry is related to producing completely biodegradable packaging products that can be used instead of plastic.
Many Companies have started hiring agencies that produce biodegradable packaging products using paper, bamboo or corn starch. Biodegradable boxes or compostable bags can be made out of cardboard or biodegradable plastic, which is a better alternative to the regular plastic that is used. Paper cardboards are sufficiently available as a resource and can be composted at a fast rate. Replacing plastic with biodegradable alternatives can have significant effect on the environment and its sustainability.
However, simply substituting plastic with paper might not always be the most eco-friendly way after all. Extensive use of paper could lead to rampant deforestation, which is not at all an environment-friendly option to packaging. Instead, recyclable or reusable products can be used to make a greater difference in the process of eco-friendly packaging. Using products like glass for packaging can be considered eco-friendly as it can be reused multiple times without generating toxic waste.
Being eco-friendly does not stop at banning plastic; rather, it encourages the widespread use of other alternative products that can be sufficiently reduced, reused and recycled. Several biodegradable materials can now be used to produce eco-friendly packaging options.
Benefits of Eco-Packaging Designs
The benefits of eco-packaging are majorly related to the conservation of environment and its resources. With the rapidly changing business environment, resources are falling short and the demand for products is ever-increasing. The shortage of available resources indicates towards the need of adopting eco-packaging designs for sustainability.
Eco-packaging reduces the stress on environment caused due to the packaging processes involving plastic or other non-biodegradable substances. Eco-packaging makes way for enhanced sustainability as it involves innovative techniques that do not affect the environment adversely.
Steffani Cameron describes in her article “What is Eco-Friendly Packaging?” how the designing and production of suitable packages require adequate investment of resources and therefore eco-packaging emphasizes on reusable products like glass containers, which need to be produced only once and can be reused multiple times until it gets broken.
Eco-packaging increases the sustainability of a business as it makes responsible use of available resources and takes care of its environmental impacts.
By using compostable containers, an organization can contribute to the protection of environment. In the long-run it is not only cost-effective but also a responsible way to conduct business. After all, the more we take care of our environment, the more suitable will it be for our businesses.
Consumer’s Response to Eco-Packaging
Kevin Keating highlights in his article “Eco-Friendly packaging: What Consumers Really Want” that most consumers today are more aware of their surroundings and how their actions impact their surroundings.
He states that most consumers are willing to pay a higher price for a product that is environment-friendly and sustainable. Consumers believe that by buying products from socially responsible organizations also imply their contribution towards the environment. Therefore, most consumers are more comfortable doing business with organizations that are socially responsible and conscious regarding the failing environment.
However, studies have shown that most consumers follow the visual cues of packaging more than the environmental ones. More than sustainability, consumers are attracted by the design and print on the package, irrespective of their environmental impacts.
Nevertheless, the importance of eco-friendly packaging is increasing day by day and more consumers are choosing environmentally responsible options over the ones that degrade the environment.
