One part of running a business, especially in retail, is spending a hefty amount of money on packaging. Experts say that your packaging can make or break the customer experience—it’s just as important as the purchased product itself!
With the amount of plastic waste from retail shops being disposed of daily, you may want to rethink your choices. Enter sustainable packaging—an excellent alternative to the plastic packaging you know.
Aside from the usual perks, going green for your packaging can also lead to brownie points in the finance department. Learn more about how small businesses like yours can save money through eco-friendly packaging.
Why Go for Sustainable Packaging?
There are several advantages to pursuing sustainability as a small business. If you’re resourceful enough to pull off excellent recycling practices, then doing so will surely save you money. You can easily make cuts to your usual manufacturing and shipping costs. How so? Using recyclable materials for packaging requires less money to pay manufacturers. They also typically materials weigh less, allowing you to pay less for shipping costs. What’s more, they also don’t take up much space—you can store your packages however you want!
And, of course, who could forget how effectively sustainable packaging lessens waste in the environment? These wonder products decompose in a matter of months compared to single-use plastics that take hundreds of years to break down.
Truly, with simple steps such as switching to sustainable packaging, you can do your part in saving the environment and keeping your business afloat.
Save Money Through Eco-Friendly Packaging Practices for Day-to-Day Business
The key to being an eco-friendly business, after all, is being able to make money while caring for the environment. In today’s business climate, your kind of packaging spells out your reputation to customers.
Save money through eco-friendly packaging with these handy tips:
1. Collaborate with the right manufacturers
Manufacturers create the finished product of your packaging materials. Choose the right manufacturer that shares your vision for eco-friendly practices and offers a reasonable price for manufacturing. Ask for quotations, a minimum number of orders, and the turnaround time based on your production needs. Once you’ve decided, make things official by setting payment terms and delivery date.
2. Utilize alternative packaging to plastic
Recycled and compostable mailers are now being used by people in favor of plastics. These items break down along with food scraps once you throw them away. For securing your packages, use water-activated tapes instead of plastic packaging tape. These kinds of tape are made of crossed synthetic fibers and can hold up to 30 kilograms of weight. Talk about having so much strength! It’s practical to have these items when you decide on alternatives to packaging items in plastic.
3. Want to save money through eco-friendly packaging? Go for recycled materials
Recycled materials are durable and affordable to buy and produce, while reducing waste. Cardboard is a long-lasting recycled material used for packing dry items and electronics. Paperboards are great too for handy and lightweight packages.
4. Ship items in smaller packages
Small packages are more affordable than their larger counterparts in terms of expenses and shipping costs. Save your money while making the most out of your space by choosing small packages. Tie clothes and other fabrics in tight bundles to make room for other stuff. Items like furniture are disassembled, if possible, to fit small packages.
5. Consider compostable or biodegradable packaging
To set things straight, compostable and biodegradable are two different things. Compostable packaging disintegrate in soil and are made from plant materials, such as soy protein, corn, and potatoes. On the other hand, biodegradable packaging have additives that make them decompose immediately upon exposure to sunlight or oxygen. These two are way more cost-effective as you get more benefits from purchasing them than you ever will from the toxic poly plastics.
Switch to Oikos and Save Money Through Eco-Friendly Packaging
Eco-friendly packing is an essential part of running a sustainable business in the Philippines. Without well-designed and well-executed packaging, you can run the risk of losing customers. By choosing sustainable options for your packaging practices, you can save money and resources—and, by extension, you save the world from more potential waste.
Oikos Sustainable Solutions is the first local manufacturer of plant-based packaging in the Philippines. Our corn and cassava bags, all designed to decompose within three to six months, are guaranteed to contain zero plastic. Our team would be happy to help you achieve your eco-friendly goals! Learn more about our products here.