Sustainable Packaging Options for Your Product-Based Business

As I delve more and more into the world of Shopify, I keep thinking about product-based businesses and their needs. eCommerce is projected to make up of 20.4% of global retail sales by the end of 2022, meaning that we now live in a world that increasingly relies on online shopping and digital consumerism.

That being said, I also keep thinking about how this trend toward eCommerce is going to affect our environment in the long run. It’s becoming more and more clear as the years pass that we as humans have to change our habits to help ensure the longevity of our species. Global climate change is not about to end on its own, and we have to step up to find solutions to our growing environmental problems.

As someone that both sells a product (have you checked out The Desert Oracle Deck?) and also frequently shops online, packing materials are something I think about a lot. They’re an obvious point in the product-cycle process that can be made more sustainable. How can we reduce waste and make online packing materials more sustainable? In this post, I’ll outline some of my thoughts and favorite products that will make your shipping a lot more environmentally friendly so we can all make a positive difference toward the environment.

A Quick Caveat

Before we get into my eco-friendly packing material recommendations, I wanted to share a quick disclaimer. The most sustainable option for packing materials will always be reusing ones that you already have lying around.

Something that already exists in the world should be used as much as it can before it is discarded. So, if you’re the type of person that sometimes orders items on Amazon (I’m right there with you, as much as I don’t want to, sometimes it’s hard to avoid!) it’s better to reuse the packaging materials they send you with their orders as opposed to using new ones instead. Simply throwing out those materials neglects the environmental impact of making those items in the first place. By reusing them, you’re increasing their longevity and bypassing creating new environmental impacts via the packaging you’re using to ship an item from your online shop.

To learn more about product cycles and the environmental footprint of items, I highly recommend checking out Shelbizleee on YouTube. She can explain this much more thoroughly and eloquently than I can.

Another Caveat to my Caveat

Now, I get that reusing shipping materials may not always be feasible for your business. You may not shop online enough to warrant reusing shipping materials that you receive via your own purchases. You may also be an established business that needs branded shipping materials. Or you may need specific types of packing materials for the products you sell. Regardless of your needs, you should still be able to ship your orders using sustainable packing materials.

My Favorite Sustainable Shipping Material Brand

Over the course of selling The Desert Oracle Deck, I have tried a variety of different eco-friendly shipping material brands to send out my orders. And by far, my favorite brand for sustainable packaging is noissue.

As a designer I’ve scoured the internet for cute, sustainable and affordable shipping material options. It’s not as easy to find as you would think. Options have expanded in the last few years, but for me, noissue is a tried and true shipping material brand. Their options not only look gorgeous, but they have the option to be fully customized as well. They also keep adding options to their packaging options—they don’t just sell shipping materials anymore. They’re definitely a company that I love regularly supporting with my business.

My Favorite Shipping Material Options from Noissue

I haven’t used many shipping material options from noissue. This is due to the fact that I only sell one physical product in my business. I do regularly work with clients with product-based businesses though and that’s only going to continue to expand as I dive deeper into Shopify. Below I’m going to share some of my favorite shipping options that noissue sells and I’d be willing to try:

The Recycled Padded Mailer

This is the only item from noissue that I have personally tried. I use the recycled padded mailers to ship out my decks and I love that they showcase front and center that they’re eco-friendly to my customers. They’re well constructed and even offer the ability for reuse built into the design. They come in a variety of different sizes and work great for sturdier items that need a little bit of protection, but don’t need the security of a box for shipment.

Die Cut Stickers

The next time I place a sticker order, I’m definitely going to consider ordering from noissue. noissue die cut stickers are made using uncoated paper, soy based inks and non-toxic adhesive. As a result their compost-friendly and I absolutely love that! Since they’re uncoated they’re not waterproof, so if that is something important to you, I wouldn’t go with this sticker option. Furthermore, finish options for stickers are limited as well (they don’t have any foil or iridescent sticker options.)That being said, if waterproofing or finish type isn’t a deal-breaker for you, why not opt for a sticker option that doesn’t hurt the environment!

Kraft Boxes

If your product requires a more sturdy shipping option, the noissue boxes are worth giving a look. They can be plain or fully customized inside and out based on your business’ branding. They also come in various sizes and are fully curb recyclable as well.

Tissue Paper

Tissue paper is an easy way to elevate your shipping packaging. Why not use a 100% compostable option from noissue? Not only is the tissue paper offered by noissue compostable, but it’s also fully customizable.

Water-Activated Tape

Tape is always one of those things that you wish you didn’t have to use when you ship something, but it’s hard to avoid. This water-activated option from noissue is a great sustainable option. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it’s also able to be fully customized in two different size options. I will definitely be recommending this to product-based clients in the future.

Conclusion

Ready to do your part to make the world a better place? A good first step is to figure out where you can start incorporating environmentally-conscious practices into your business. Of course, this is definitely easier said than done because sustainable options can vary depending on your industry, location, and available resources. It’s ok if your shipping materials aren’t fully sustainable yet, just as long as you take steps over time to do better.

READY FOR SOME SUPPORT MAKING YOUR SHIPPING MATERIALS OR PACKAGING MORE SUSTAINABLE?

You can reach out to me directly to talk about bringing your business vision to life through branding, packaging or web design!

Take care and talk soon,

Alex