Best Types of Eco-Friendly Packaging Which Can be Used
We are guilty of damaging our environment in various ways—by overpopulating it, polluting it, by burning fossil fuels and depleting forests, and much more.
But now, countries are making sincere efforts to reduce their impact on the environment. In fact, businesses are seeking innovative ways of designing and packaging their products so that their environmental and carbon footprint is reduced.
Here are some packaging innovation ideas for manufacturing products. They are recyclable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly. Perhaps, you can consider some of these for your business:
Corrugated Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap, made of plastic, isn’t eco-friendly. But you can give it a rethink if you know that bubble wrap can also be made from overhauled corrugated cardboard.
Instead of throwing out cardboard, let it play the role of padding. Make incisions in cardboard so that it has an accordion effect that protects products from shocks.
Cornstarch Packaging
An organic material, cornstarch is used extensively in eco-friendly packaging.
An extract of the corn plant, its properties resemble plastic and it can be used in various ways.
Innovative types of cornstarch packaging include bottles and loose-fill packaging moulds.
Air Pillows from Recycled Materials
Perhaps you never thought it possible to use air pillows or inflatables as an eco-saving option to bubble wrap.
You can find them in various sizes. They are best used for filling empty spaces in boxes or to act as padding around packed products.
Air pillows are very small bags, which when inflated and air-filled, can be used as a packaging material. These pillows can be recycled, reused and are also biodegradable.
Mushroom Packaging for Small Items
Mushrooms are yet another inexpensive and eco-friendly packaging option that can be used to package small items.
When clean and ground agricultural trash is mixed with the roots of mushrooms, it is molded into the desired shape and dried. Then, it is ready to be used as packaging.
This material is not dependent on petroleum for its raw material. And, being biodegradable at a fast rate, it also works well as sustainable packaging.
Further, you can compost mushroom packaging at home by breaking it down into safe and organic substances.
Recycled Cardboard and Paper
You needn’t source cardboard and paper from wood and paper. Now, these materials can be sourced sustainably so that they have lesser of an impact on the environment.
We now learn that paper and cardboard are ranked high on the list of the most recyclable materials.
In order to ensure that your paper or cardboard packaging is also eco-friendly, source them as post-industrial recycled cardboard and paper.
Alternatively, you can go with materials that are marked FSC-certified that are sourced from forests that are sustainably managed.
Seaweed Packaging
These days, there isn’t just corn, mushrooms and seaweed that are used in packaging. There’s also agar, that gel-like substance that you can perform find in several seaweeds.
Apart from its many applications, it is used extensively for packaging material. It has been found to be sustainable and eco-friendly too.
Micro-Fibrillated Cellulose
Made from throwaway parts of plants and lighter than glass or fiber, micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) is most definitely sustainable material.
Not only does it strengthen packaging but it also creates a barrier of moisture and oxygen.
Conclusion
By using newer technologies that help us create sustainable packaging, there is sure to be many more eco-friendly options available for all kinds of packaging.
What are spurring on these packaging options to survive in the market are businesses that see not just cost-saving but also a smaller footprint
