We have grown conscious over the years of how packaging waste affects our environment. As customers around the world are becoming more environmentally aware, businesses are improvising on their packaging supplies. Alternative options are attempting to lessen the carbon footprints and packaging waste.
It is all about taking responsibility right from the sourcing till the end cycle (disposing of) of a material. This concept is known as “cradle-to-cradle”.
This has led to a wave of alternative eco-friendly protective packaging supplies on a budget. Today, we will be discussing 7 such packaging alternatives that are popular these days.
#1 Biodegradable Small Bubble wrap rolls
See, there is no way a business can function without sturdy packaging materials. Especially with fragile items, you need something that will protect your products against shocks, impacts or mishandling. While organic packing paper is good, there are times when you need plastic packaging.
The best way to go about it is going for biodegradable small bubble wraps. It offers the same protection but can be disposed of in a bacterial environment or moisture.
Although some are not recyclable and takes much longer to decompose, it is the best alternative to regular bubble wraps.
#2 Eco-friendly packing peanuts
Styrofoam is a useful but dangerous packing supply for the environment. Recently, the U.S has reinstated a ban on Styrofoam as they are neither economically recyclable nor biodegradable. Most of them end up in the ocean causing adverse effects on marine life.
In the U.K., however, packaging companies like Packing Midlands are stocking 100% biodegradable packing peanuts. They work the same way as Styrofoam but do not cause hazards in the environment. They are super affordable. So, brands don’t need to worry about filling the voids in cardboard boxes while shipping breakable products.
#3 Corrugated bubble wraps
This is another alternative to plastic bubble wraps. Usually, large bubble wrap rolls are used to wrap electronics, furniture, etc. They help to protect the edges of bigger yet fragile items.
These wraps are made from corrugated paper, so it is essentially just paper. They are usually made from recycled cardboard, giving them additional life. The corrugated material in the middle works great as a cushioning agent.
One downside though that you don’t get to pop the bubbles afterwards!
#4 Honeycomb wraps
Honeycomb green wrap is paper that has a die-cut honeycomb pattern all over them. Usually, these are just premium quality flat Kraft paper that goes through a special dispenser. This dispenser gives unique honeycomb-like cut-outs to the paper which can be moulded and wrapped around papers for protection.
Glass bottles, crockeries, art pieces, perfumes and cosmetics, potteries, books can be wrapped in these papers. They look really beautiful and work well with different sizes of products.
#5 Organic fabrics
An average household in the U.K. used to consume over 140 single-use plastic bags each year. However, according to recent reports, it has reduced to 4. All this is because of the increasing use of fabric bags and paper bags.
Several organic fabrics like cotton, tapioca, jute, palm leaves are used to produce biodegradable and reusable fabric bags. Luxury stores and designers are using these alternative options to ship their products globally.
#6 Packaging paper
Not every business can afford customised fabric packaging. And there is no need for it as long as you deliver your products safely. This can be done with the good old packaging paper.
Packaging paper comes in rolls at a super cheap price. Just cut the length you need and wrap the products before putting them in cardboard boxes. You can also scrunch up some pieces and put them to fill the empty spaces in the box.
Packaging paper is 100% natural. They can be reused, recycled naturally. They are so flexible that you can literally bend them into any shape you like. Great for companies that sell odd-shaped objects.
#7 Biodegradable air pillows
Pre-inflated biodegradable air pillows are another alternative to Styrofoam. Air pillows are small bags inflated with air. Eco-friendly air pillows cut down the use of bubble wraps.
The good thing is they can be reused and recycled. Before buying though, make sure you read and buy recyclable air pillows only.
