The last few weeks I have reviewed the 3Rs. We look at the environmental impact of products we purchase or sell but an important factor that gets overlooked is whether we have chosen eco friendly packaging.

Did you know that about 75% of all household waste comes from our packaging?

The goal when shipping is to discover the most functional and cost effective way to ship a product without damage. It’s difficult to keep costs down without adding extra criteria. There are many creative ways to reduce packaging costs and still benefit the environment and your customer in the long run.

what are the traits of eco friendly packaging?

1. reduced volume, weight and layers of materials
2. renewable materials that are organic and biodegradable
3. recyclable materials
4. minimize the impact of labels, tape and other bi-products
5. materials that can be kept out of the waste stream completely
6. avoid the use of toxic or harmful material
7. minimal effect on the environment – no emissions, limited water and energy use
8. reusable packaging

In our next article I will look at some solutions to reduce or eliminate the need for excessive packaging. Do have any other indicators you would like to add to the list?

if you liked this post, take a gander at these ones!

• eco friendly packaging made simple
• ask these questions to reduce your consumption
• the challenge of buying green – habits that count
• reuse, the forgotten r
• the multiplying effect of the supply chain