The holidays are coming and so are the gifts that you’ll give and receive. After basking in the thrill of opening all the gifts, you’re left with a mountain of waste from the packaging. Plus, these would surely end up in landfills and do more harm to the environment.
Turn to eco-friendly gift wraps to lessen the impact of one-time use packaging to nature. Read more to know the wraps we recommend.
How business owners can prepare for the holiday rush
As a business owner, the holidays are the busiest season. People rush to buy gifts in stores and online. Moreover, it’s a bit tough to handle, but preparing months ahead will save your time, money, and resources. Here’s what you need to do:
- First, run an inventory on your stocks and order what’s missing.
- Second, get your raw materials ready for packaging.
- Third, check your manufacturer for their turnaround dates in creating eco-friendly packaging.
- Fourth, make sure you have more than enough eco-friendly packaging for all of your orders.
- Lastly, prepare your staff and hire seasonal employees if needed.
Pack your gifts in these eco-friendly wraps
Do you want to go all in as an eco-friendly business this holiday season? Get on track to be a sustainable business in the Philippines with these alternative packaging to plastic:
1. Recycled mailers
Recycled mailers give plastics a second chance at usability. Made of recycled plastic, specifically low-density polyethylene (LDPE), recycled mailers protect your items from water, debris, and dust. You can use these lightweight yet strong mailers to pack small and individual items. Moreover, recycled mailers can be used again to pack stuff you need. Always make sure to put adhesive strips on your recycled mailers for easy opening.
Use recycled padded mailers when you’re shipping fragile items to prevent them from breaking inside and provide some extra cushion. Just like its non-padded counterpart, recycled padded mailers can be used again for packaging.
2. Compostable mailers
Compostable mailers are built differently. One key component of compostable mailers is polylactic acid (PLA) which is made of wheat straw and field corn. Besides, compostable mailers decompose in 180 days when buried in soil in your backyard. After using a compostable mailer, you won’t have to worry about disposing it. They won’t leave harmful residue behind once it fully breaks down.
3. Cardboard boxes
Do your expenses a favor by using cardboard boxes as gift wrappers. These lightweight boxes don’t take up too much space and require less fuel for transport. Additionally, cardboard boxes prevent dust, water, and other materials from entering inside. Equally as important, you won’t need to spend much on packing and delivering items to your customers with cardboard boxes.
4. Tote bags
Tote bags are purely made from cotton and will break down when disposed instead of occupying a space in landfills. You can stuff and arrange as many items in a tote bag depending on its size. If your item is too small for your tote bag, add some tissue paper and old fabric to protect the item.
Using tote bags as gift wraps can also double as a marketing effort. It can be used as a grocery, shopping, and gym wear bag after taking the gifts out. Besides, you’re more likely to gain new customers when people see your brand on the tote bag and do more research about it.
5. Old newspapers
If you have old newspapers, it’s time to stop them from gathering dust. Wrap dry items like books and mugs in old newspapers before putting it in another gift wrapping. Additionally, newspapers add a protective layer over your items aside from the gift wrapping you’ll put them in.
Choose sustainable packaging with Oikos
Using eco-friendly gift wraps instead of single-use plastics this holiday season is a practical idea in reducing waste. Plus, you’ll make a stance to your customers about caring for the environment and save more money for your business.
Oikos Sustainable Solutions is Philippines’ first local manufacturer of plant-based packaging. Its corn and cassava bags are made out of starch from each crop and decompose within three to six months. Learn more about our products here.