How to Pack and Ship Parcels Sustainably
, by Maeve Reidy, 5 min reading time
, by Maeve Reidy, 5 min reading time
More and more businesses are looking for solutions for shipping their products more sustainably. At ShredPack, we have a wide range of sustainable packaging solutions that are not only cost-effective, they may also reduce the space needed in your warehouse, and can substantially reduce your damaged-in-delivery rates.
More and more businesses are looking for solutions for shipping their products more sustainably. And they're right to do so ... recent research says that possibly up to 59% of consumers won't buy a product if it is shipped in packaging that is damaging to the environment.
There are a few ways that businesses can sustainably ship their parcels.
Cardboard boxes are a perfect example of a sustainable bio-based shipping material. But it is important to consider what type of cardboard box a business uses. It might feel like the epitome of "we're a successful business" to be using brand new custom made boxes. But this is just vanity. Those fabulous-looking glossy printed boxes may look the part, but the processes involved in producing them often means they have zero chance of being able to be sustainably recycled. A cardboard box can (and we believe should!) be used more than once. It takes a huge amount of energy and resources to manufacture cardboard boxes, so it makes absolute sense to re-use cardboard boxes wherever possible. The more often a cardboard box can be used, the better its Carbon Footprint becomes!
If a cardboard box really and truly has done it's business and can't realistically be used any more, it still has value ... by purchasing a Cardboard Shredder Machine you can reduce the amount of waste cardboard you have to store and dispose of, while making valuable (and free!) voidfill to ship your parcels! Repurposing cardboard in this way as a filling material adds to the lifecycle of the cardboard box before it finally gets recycled. And it adds to the sustainability of a business by reducing the cost of voidfill that has to be purchased as well a reducing a business's Carbon Footprint.
Mailing Bags are used extensively in ecommerce, especially for clothing and other flexible non-fragile products. Mailing Bags are often touted as being biodegradable, recycled, recyclable and various other eco-friendly terms that make those that use them feel a little better about using them. It is important to remember that Mailing Bags are still plastic, even though manufacturers are constantly working at making them a little less harmful to the environment. After extensive research and testing, ShredPack offers grey mailing bags that are manufactured from a minimum of 85% post consumer plastic, and can be recycled. We are in regular contact with our suppliers, and any queries on mailing bags can be clarified with just a phone call.
Another component that businesses should consider is the voidfill used within their parcels. Many businesses think that foam packing beans should be used (we like to call them "devil's droppings" so that gives you an idea of what we think of them!). The use of bubble wrap, while being used widely as voidfill, CAN NOT be recycled by traditional means. At ShredPack, we find shredded cardboard is a wonderful alternative to traditional voidfill. As an added bonus, if you are struggling with the storage and disposal of waste cardboard boxes, a solution may be to get one of our Cardboard Shredders, which can be a fantastic cost-saving option not only on your waste charges but also on the space you have to devote to storing waste boxes until they can be collected, not to mention the space you'll save by not having to store bales of bubblewrap!
Another sustainable and eco-friendly voidfill solution could be Activa Paper Voidfill, or their innovative honeycomb wrap (which reduces dramatically the need for tape!) At ShredPack we have a growing range of paper voidfill solutions.
Or why not dispense with the need for voidfill and cardboard boxes/mailing bags altogether?! The innovative range of Bubl Packaging is perfect for products that are very prone to damage-in-transit - electronics, wine bottles, antiques to name just a few. Made from 100% recyclable plastic with a cushioning barrier of nothing but air, they can also be reused. Not only that, extra-large products can also be catered for with custom-made Bubl Packaging for car doors, toilet cisterns, radiators and windows ... anything is possible!
Supplied uninflated, they take up very little space. And they're easy to use, as they can either be inflated with nothing more than a straw, or a pump or an air-compression unit. Once received, customers can easily deflate them and pop them in their recyclng Green Bin. Or you could share the love by providing a straw so that your customer can use it again!
At ShredPack, we have a wide range of sustainable packaging solutions that are not only cost-effective, they may also reduce the space needed in your warehouse, and can substantially reduce your damaged-in-delivery rates.
Why not contact us to find out more!
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