5 Tips for Sustainable Packaging and Shipping
No matter whether you’re a small online retailer operating from your garage or just a private individual who occasionally mails gifts and care packages, you leave a carbon footprint with each package you mail. It may not seem like it has much impact on the global climate, but in fact it does increase carbon dioxide emissions. If you’re concerned about the environment, check out our tips for sustainable packaging and shipping.
Use Recyclable, Recycled or Biodegradable Packaging Materials
Huge amounts of packaging materials are used all over the world every day. Unfortunately, the cheapest and most popular options are often neither biodegradable nor recyclable. They are thrown away, contributing significantly to the environment pollution. For example, Styrofoam, which is a standard cushioning material for fragile items, often finds its way into waterways, producing an adverse effect on marine life. It has even been banned by some US cities, but the ban is far from universal. And good old bubble wrap isn’t exactly eco-friendly either.
Luckily, a number of environmentally friendly alternatives have been developed, and many of them are just as affordable as their non-recyclable/non-biodegradable counterparts. They include biodegradable packaging peanuts, corrugated bubble wrap, inflatable air pillows made of recycled materials, packaging materials made of cornstarch, mushrooms (believe it or not) or seaweeds, recycled paper and cardboard, recycled plastic and eco-friendly plastic, and biodegradable fabric bags.
Reuse Packaging Whenever Possible
If you have shipping materials you can reuse (for example, boxes from your suppliers or from packages you’ve received), go for it! Of course, you should first make sure that the box is sturdy enough to withstand another journey. If it is, don’t buy a new box when you can used an old one.
Reduce the Size of Your Packages
Reducing the size of your packages can be beneficial for a number of reasons. First, when the box is just the right size for its contents (neither too big nor too small), it is easier to ensure the safety of the items in the box. Too much free space can lead to the items jostling around inside the box, even if you use cushioning materials. Second, shipping carriers often charge by dimensional weight, meaning that the larger your package, the more you end up paying for shipping. Finally, but not least important, a smaller package takes up less space on a truck, ship or plane, thus reducing the carbon footprint.
However, when it comes to shipping multiple orders to the same customer, consolidating them into one package is a good idea because one large package still has a smaller carbon footprint than several smaller packages. Besides, merging several orders into one allows to save packaging materials.
Choose a Sustainable Shipping Company
There are a lot of shipping carriers out there, and some of them pay more attention to sustainability than others. For example, UPS encourages its customers to use reusable transport packaging, invests in hybrid electric trucks, and employs smaller vehicles with lower emission footprints. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has recycling programs, tries to reduce energy and water consumption, and uses solar panels to power its mail processing facilities.
Schedule a Package Pickup
Instead of driving to a post office, schedule a package pickup with the shipping carrier. In addition to saving you gas money, it will reduce your carbon footprint. Since carriers optimize the routes of their delivery trucks to be fuel-efficient, scheduling a package pickup is a more environmentally-friendly option. Of course, if you have just one package to mail and can walk to the post office, then by all means do it.
