How to Make Your Ecommerce Business Eco-friendly and Green?

by alex| in Web to Print on August 23, 2019 7:10 am 1573 /

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The advancement in the internet revolution has led to the development of online business or eCommerce business all over the world. The use of secure payment systems enables customers to shop easily online, at any time of day; in addition to consumer trust in the websites of retailers.

This calls our attention to the gap between the eCommerce business and sustainability. As per a report, annual eCommerce sales are set to strike $4.5 trillion by 2021, an increase of 246% since 2014. The online shopping convenience has made its reach globally that has meant some great opportunities for brands.

But more Ecomerce sales means more packaging materials and finally more wastes that degrade our planet earth. The logistics company “ United Parcel Service” has 750 million packages during the holiday period alone last year. Moreover, this value is likely to increase in subsequent years.

The majority of a threat to the ecosystem lies with the packaging that is composed of plastic. The mass production of plastics has overtaken the recycling efforts, a rate of almost 300 million tonnes a year. Our oceans and ecosystem have become a dumping ground for the majority of the excess plastics. It is estimated that if such practice continues, then plastics will outweigh fish by 2050.

Practically, it is non-realistic to target zero packagings. For efficient shipping, goods need to be packed to protect during transit. However, the packaging is not the problem, the problem is with the materials of packaging which aren’t designed keeping in view of the environment.

The methods to develop sustainable packaging which is better for the planet and for your business are:

Use of Bio-plastics

1. Bio-plastics have started to take a prominent place in eco-packaging and their possible applications are as follows:
2. To replace the ever-present plastic bag, use plant fibers such as jute and hemp, which are widely used as containers.
3. Traditional petroleum plastics used to be molded into various different shapes but come from renewable sources, as a result, greenhouse gas emissions becomes less.
4. The most common source of making biodegradable packaging is- fermented starch of corn and wheat.

Saves money

1. You may have sold items in too-big boxes stuffed with non-recyclable filler. Not only is this unsustainable, but it’s also expensive. Businesses end up spending more money than they need to on packaging because conventional designs often fail to deliver on efficiency.
2. It is a great opportunity to renovate your packaging not only to go eco-friendly but also to cut out unnecessary elements.
3. Finally, you may save the earth and your pocket.
4. In 2018, more than 250 global companies including Unilever, Nestle, and Coca-Cola committed to implementing 100% recyclable, biologically and recyclable packaging by 2050.

Use reusable packaging

1. It’s astonishing that a plastic bag is received and thrown off within an average time of only 12 minutes. These 12 minutes are enough to damage our planet up to a thousand years.
2. One of the best methods to fix such issue is encouraging the re-use of packaging.
3. You may have cardboard boxes, poly bags in your dustbin. Rather dumping it off, pick it up and use it for packaging. You just need to change your mentality and that’s all the way you can lead to adopting reusable packaging practice.
4. Alternatives to the above like using a jute bag as packaging for your product, by comparison, invites many further opportunities for reuse because it offers intrinsic value to your customer.
5. By keeping the reusable packaging in circulation for a longer period of time, wastage can be reduced.
6. Plant fibers are biodegradable, they also provide an eco-friendly disposal option when required.
7. A 2018 study on consumer behavior found that a lack of knowledge about the benefits of sustainable packaging was one of the primary reasons for its slow uptake.
8. Hence, customer awareness very important. They are the ultimate ones who are going to value your eco-friendly packaging.

Use Soy-based inks instead of Petroleum ones

1. It is a marketing strategy to add branding elements to your packaging. But his means using ink to create designs and decorations, that can possess a big impact on the sustainability of your design.
2. Many traditional inks are made up of petroleum as it is relatively easy to use with quick drying time. However, petroleum is a non-renewable energy resource. It contains carcinogenic volatile organic compounds, hence it is unsafe for consumers.
3. It also makes the papers and cardboards unrecyclable, as a result, your sustainable effort gets undermined.

Soy-based inks

1. Soy-based inks have been growing in popularity as an alternative to petroleum-based inks because it is both eco-friendly and affordable.
2. Soybeans are highly sustainable because the crop needs no irrigation. As a result, it has no ecological footprint.
3. The soy-based ink releases less than 20% of the volatile organic compounds as compared to that of the petroleum-based inks. It is much safer to use by consumers.
4. During the recycling of papers, soy-based inks can also be removed easily.
5. Best of all, soy-based ink is much more vibrant and dazzling as compared to its counter-art petroleum-based inks. It will also help you in creating an eye-catching packaging design.

Avoid over-packaging

1. The packaging is a great way to influence people. In order to make the product look expensive and justify its price, many industries use the trick of over-packaging.
2. But this is totally unnecessary to use a huge amount of excess packaging material for consumers to dispose of.
   Reduce is the first and foremost option to apply in this segment.

Use paper over plastic

1. In the ecommerce store, it likely means a more expensive shipping process.
2. Use fewer materials to have lighter packaging and more savings in the business area.
3. Using mailer envelops for smaller orders and reserving boxes for the larger ones, will help you reduce both costs and environmental impact.

Conclusion

Making your eCommerce business eco-friendly and green especially through sustainable packaging does not have to be an expensive or inefficient option for your business plan. Not only for customers, but you can also do a part for your planet by creating a key selling point for your brand.