Why should your business implement eco packages?

See 5 reasons why your business should implement eco packages!

In this article we’d like to talk about eco-friendly packages in business. Do you offer online shopping with delivery and you’re wondering whether it’s worth to invest in eco-friendly packaging? Worry not, we’re here to show you the answer.

Trending: e-commerce

Today’s world has made us used to online shopping. Green Generation’s studies show that 57% of Internet users prefer this type of shopping [1]. In a sense, it’s much better than going to a traditional shop. We save time, a lot of energy, but also money – by lower petrol usage and more attractive prices online.

E-commerce vs. eco packaging

However, online shopping isn’t more friendly to the environment. It actually means increased production, delivery directly to the client’s door (often long-distance), common products’ returns and, of course, countless single-use packages. It’s common knowledge that often they aren’t eco packages such us biodegradable or compostable ones, but rather those that poison the environment.

Deliveries generates a lot of plastic unnecessarily, while eco-friendly packages made from bioplastic are truly a great alternative! Why should you choose them?

1. You lose clients if your packaging is non-eco

Consumers’ awareness is growing

Consumers are more and more aware why ecology is crucial. For this reason, in 2021 there was a huge spike in demand of eco-friendly packaging. Consumers are fed up with plastic.

Statistics don’t lie

• Almost 1/3 Polish customers has stopped buying certain brands’ products because their packages weren’t eco-friendly.
• As much as 39% of consumers has experienced bad quality of packaging when shopping online [1]. 19% of those felt not only disappointment, but also aggravation.
• 58% of Poles chooses products of those brands that implement solutions which follow the sustainable development policy.
• Every second person checks whether pro-eco promises of companies are actually fulfilled in their actions.
• In Poland, 78% of customers want to buy products that are friendly to the environment, even if the price is higher.
• According to the Polish Economic Institute, a Polish consumer uses, on average, ca. 160kg of packaging annually – and your packaging belongs to that.

2. Packaging influences company’s image

Packaging is your company’s business card

Growth from Knowledge organisation has shown that 90% of respondents expects activities that would lower the production of plastic from non-other than producers, while 63% said the biggest responsibility for that lies in retailers.

Remember that a package is what your clients see first. They have a negative attitude towards single-use plastic packages which you might be using. Another common problems are plastic tapes, plastic fillings and excess of resources used during packing.

It matters what you’re packing into

Results of Green Generation’s study clearly prove that.

87% of buyers see non-eco practices of online shops: using plastic materials for packing e.g. foil (31%), packing food in foil and plastic bags (29%) or using a huge box and a lot of filling to send a small product (28%) to name a few [2].

Another very common problem is that companies care for high quality of a product but forget about the importance of packaging. By using plastic materials there is e.g. a risk that you’ll be accused of greenwashing.

How does greenwashing impacts the image?

Haaga-Helia, business oriented University of Applied Sciences, has conducted a study to see how portraying your product as more eco than it really is influences the brand’s image (fast fashion brands were taken as examples). Respondents were asked to rate brands that they though to be using greenwashing on a scale 1-5. The categories were quality, consistency, reliability, durability and ethics of their activities. It turned out that the rates were exceptionally low and practically didn’t reach higher than 2 points.

3. By using non-eco packaging you might be criticised publicly

There are a lot of examples in the history of marketing to how the lack of a clear plan for improving the environment’s state and lack of concrete actions can expose a company to critique.

Nestlé

In 2018, Nestlé has issued a statement that it had acknowledged the problem of plastic pollution and that they were ready to act against it. Unfortunately, there was nothing clear behind this declaration. The company’s promises were harshly criticised by pro-eco organisations and were rated as empty. Their call was ignored. Another statement that was negatively perceived was that saving the environment needs acting together. Of course, that’s true in itself. However, just one year before a beach in Philippines was cleaned from trash and it turned out that almost 17% of rubbish was from non other than Nestlé products [3].

Tesco

There were a lot of similar cases. Recently, other huge companies have been accused of greenwashing, including Tesco. Supposedly, it advertised their new plastic packaging that could be recycled. Unfortunately, in order for them to be recycled, it had to be returned to the shop by consumers, and even then the chance for that was very low [4].

Head and Shoulders

Another example is a well known Head and Shoulders shampoo. The company that produces it once ensured that their bottles were made from plastic retrieved from beaches. They weren’t lying, although the bottles were then coloured blue, making them unable to be recycled. It means that eventually they ended up on dumping grounds or in the environment [4].
All such cases are quickly spotted and aren’t socially acceptable anymore. Introducing truly eco-friendly solutions is a much better choice. It makes the consumers enthusiastic and builds their trust.
To sum it up, it’s worth to care about the packaging of your products. A package is not only a way to store and protect your product, but also it’s your company’s advertisement. If your clients’ beliefs and needs change, you should adjust to them. A great way to do so is implementing eco-friendly packaging.

4. Law makes you use eco packaging anyway

The European Union has taken action

Soon, eco-friendly packaging won’t be just an option anymore. It’ll be an obligation for every seller and producer. Law is becoming more and more strict about this issue. In 2018 EU adopted so-called waste package, which is an amendment of the key directives regarding waste management.

EPR – Extended Producer Responsibility

EPR is a project that is supposed to be adopted following Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018. It’s aim is to introduce actions that will bind producers to both financial and organisational responsibility of managing products during their whole life cycle.

It means that producers will be responsible not only for what is happening with products at the moment of their production, trade and time of usage, but also when they become waste. Producers’ duties include e.g. collecting, sorting, but also processing waste from the products’ leftovers. It’s a method of holding producers accountable for generating pollution instead of making the consumers a scapegoat.

Single-Use Plastics directive

It’s another meaningful directive issued by the EU to lower the influence of some products made from plastic to the environment. It bans selling single-use products made from plastic such as straws, stirrers, cutlery, cups, plates etc.

In Poland, it took effect in 2021. This is just the beginning of the battle against plastic in the EU, but the plans for it are massive. One of the most crucial regulation introduced by the SUP directive is about reducing the usage of single-use cups and food containers. In Poland’s case, the changes aren’t that tangible yet, but other countries have decided for more determined steps. Sweden has set a goal to reduce such products by 50% by 2026. It’s just a matter of time before Poland will also have to adjust to the new reality of production.

Plastic tax

If plastic pollution is generated, the one who should pay for it should be the one who produced it – this is EU’s goal. Switching to eco-friendly packaging is basically inevitable.

It’s not worth to wait until the last minute and get surprised by the constantly stricter law. Especially when you consider how vast the eco-friendly packaging offer is. A start-up that bet everything on eco packages is ZNIKA. At www.znika.pl you’ll find a lot of solutions for eco packaging for your company.

5. Caring for ecology is also caring for yourself

Stable climate and safe future

By implementing eco-friendly packaging in your offer, you’ll contribute to lowering plastic waste, which is the main cause of environmental pollution. Plastic pollution negatively impacts the state of water, soil and air. Plastic decomposes to microplastic, which bio-accumulates in human bodies – yours included.

When you’re choosing packages that are friendly to the environment, you’ll care not only for the planet, but also for yourself. Eco-friendly packaging can be your contribution to saving the environment!

Ecological packaging in one place

How can we package in a truly eco-friendly way? We can find a great deal of eco-friendly packaging on the market - popular packaging made from recycled plastic, paper, reusable packaging and so on. The most important principle is that the best packaging is no packaging at all. However, many products require disposable packaging. In this situation, biodegradable packaging, which is compostable, is the best choice. What makes them different?

This type of eco-friendly packaging has the same properties as its plastic counterparts and is often confusingly similar to them. The difference is that, under the right conditions, they can turn into compost. All that will be left is water, carbon dioxide and biomass.

If you haven't yet decided to introduce eco-friendly packaging into your business, you can find suggestions for fully environmentally friendly, natural packaging and shipping products in our shop.

Our offer does not end there. ZNIKA was established to bring eco-friendly packaging, more specifically compostable packaging, to the market. If you are looking for something special, tailored to your product then get in touch with us and we will create environmentally friendly, packaging that is perfect for you.

 

Write to us!

Sources:

1. DS Smith, Shopper trends unpacked.

2. Deloitte, Climate Sentiment Index.

3. Raport Green Generation 2020, "Green e-commerce".

4. Growth from Knowledge, "Behavior Change" 2021.

5. Measure Meant What is Greenwashing? A Nestlé Case Study.

6. Independent, Coca-Cola, Ikea, and Kim Kardashian’s fashion brand accused of ‘greenwashing’.