Articles
Source Reduction Packaging: Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Product
In an effort to become more "green," companies today are looking for ways to reduce their impact on the environment by limiting the amount of energy and greenhouse gases they produce, otherwise known as their carbon footprint. One way to do so is to develop environmentally friendly packaging for their products, with delivery systems that are either biodegradable, recyclable, made of recycled material or utilize source reduction (packages that are made with less materials or designed to take up less space in the land fill).
When choosing an eco-friendly package, think about the net effect and consider how green the deliver system actually is: how much supply chain energy is used from start to finish? Biodegradable packages are often not a viable choice, since most ingredients will not be stable in the limited material options. While recyclable packages may seem like a green option, the energy required to recycle the materials may actually increase the carbon footprint rather than reduce it.
In reality, the cleanest green packaging program is the refill system, in which consumers send or bring back the package to the company to be refilled. However, such programs are rarely successful because they create two challenges. First, they create an inconvenience to the customer, who has to make an extra effort to return the package. Second, it can be difficult to guarantee that the product does not become contaminated when refilling the package multiple times.
The best alternative may be source reduction. With this strategy, the delivery system uses less material and/or takes up less space in the landfill. A collapsible package consists of multiple layers of plastic laminated together to create a solid, strong structure. A portion of this type of container can be produced from recycled materials. While the package is neither biodegradable nor recyclable, it can be easily compacted when thrown out and takes up far less room in the landfill.
When considering green designs for your next packaging system, do not count out source reduction as a solution. The strategy may not be a buzzword like "recycle" or "biodegradable," but it can have a significant environmental impact and may be the best option for reducing your product's carbon footprint.
Also, take into consideration the marketing advantage you company can obtain through your environmental packaging strategy. Be sure to align your company's goals with your customers' needs and concerns.
