There are a few recyclable flexible packaging materials that are used worldwide for packaging for a lot of reasons, one of them being their Eco-friendly nature. Recent studies show how much we have polluted our environments with plastic packaging because they are not recyclable and that causes harm to our environment. But everywhere you look, plastic is used for packaging for its tendency to protect the product to the maximum. But now people are realizing the side effects of plastic packaging, and are looking for the best alternatives so that they can still have their products protected, along with the environment. A lot of companies have found ways to save money on packaging and also lessen carbon production. They are changing their packaging ways that still have the same protection provided to the product, but are also recyclable and beneficial for the environment. PackagingEver has found the answer to how can we make eco-friendly packaging?
The cradle-to-cradle concept has become in this day because it means the formation of recyclable packaging into usable high-quality products after their use so that they do not impose any harm to the environment. This must mean that an eye should be kept on the packaging of a product given from the producer, or retailer and then going to the customer. Due to this concept, we are now able to grasp a lot of alternatives that are Eco friendly, one of them being biodegradable containers. This has helped a lot of businesses hugely, especially the environment-conscious ones.
1. Biodegradable Packaging Peanuts
Polystyrene foams are something we do not need in our industry as packaging as it doesn’t harm our environment but it still is not recyclable and people mostly find it in the large water bodies, polluting the area. Just like that the Styrofoam has been declared harmful as it is nonrecyclable in many countries including NYC, the US, etc. This foam has greatly affected marine life and in return has caused problems for people who live near these areas.
In place of Styrofoam, biodegradable air peanuts have been used more as they are the closest alternative to Styrofoam. Also, biodegradable air peanuts are less expensive and decompose quickly unlike Styrofoam.
2. Corrugated Bubble Wrap
People may not have thought about this possibility too, but they have always seen bubble wraps in their lives a lot. Bubble wraps are better at protecting delicate materials when they are sealed inside them. Bubble wraps have air trapped in the bubbles which makes them a little bouncy, and helps to keep the product safe and secure. Kids, and most adults like me, love these bubbles as we have something to pop that makes a satisfying popping sound. But it is not eco-friendly as it is also a plastic-based material, hence why a lot of alternatives have been made so that we have protected shipping of our products.
Recently there have been made an alternative upcycled corrugated cardboard wrap. Instead of recycling the cardboard wastes, it is used as a cushioning material. In this. There are slits or small cuts, which help to add to the cushioning effect and increase the security of the product inside. The only problem which is quite disappointing, might I add, for the kids is that you don’t get to pop it.
3. Air Pillows Made Of Recycled Materials
Just like its name states, these inflatable air pillows are recyclable easily and also are less expensive. It is a cheap alternative to the Styrofoam or the bubble wraps, but it has the same use. These air pillows come in all sizes so that you can daily fit them inside the box to fill the empty spaces and cushion the shocks. With these pillows. You can easily protect your product even during shipping, and it doesn’t be an environmental hazard. Mostly these air pillows are small inflatable bags filled with air to protect the product. With the help of this alternative, the use of plastics has decreased immensely and has helped in the betterment of the environment. You can have the biodegradable Eco-friendly air pillows by making sure they are made 100% from recyclable packaging materials.
4. Recycled Cardboard And Paper
There are questions like is paper biodegradable or is cardboard recyclable! To answer this, yes! Both of them are recyclable but there is a limit after which you cannot recycle them further.
Cardboards are supreme when it comes to recyclable Eco-friendly materials, and it is also needed to store all these other alternatives too. Paper and cardboards are both organic materials and have a great pact on our environment too, as they are the most recyclable materials. Just keep in mind that you should only recycle the paper and cardboard not more than 7 times and at least 5 times. You can also opt for the FSC-certified materials as they are from the best-managed forests. This will ensure that your packaging is 100% Eco-friendly.
5. Cornstarch Packaging
Cornstarch is also an organic matter and has helped a lot in the packaging industry and kept the environment clean. Cornstarch has some properties like plastic, which makes it a great alternative, but it is not entirely plastic. Cornstarch is derived from maize or corn plants and has helped greatly to date as it can easily be molded into the desired shapes.
But it has its downfalls too, as it causes food supply problems for both humans and animals. Even though it is a good petroleum-based packaging alternative, it has caused dietary problems for us. So it is better that you measure the pros and cons properly before taking any step.
6. Mushroom Packaging
Mushrooms are also beneficial, biodegradable, and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic, but only for small products. Mycelium and a grounded agricultural waste are mixed to make this. As waste is something that cannot be used by humans, its raw materials are beneficial if they are converted into the required shapes. This is a clever idea as it degrades faster than most materials and is petroleum-free. People can make mushroom packaging in their homes by converting the waste material into organic nontoxic material.
7. Seaweed Packaging
Green packaging is also beneficial, as the agar, present in algae and seaweed can be used as the packaging and for the betterment of the environment because it is a gelatinous substance. People also prefer seaweeds because they are one of the best alternatives to gelatin, due to their high gelatinous nature. In the food industry, people also use it as a thickener, which serves as a great idea. Now seaweed packaging is considered one of the most Eco-friendly, and biodegradable alternatives to plastic packaging.
8. Eco-Friendly Plastic And Recycled Plastics
There are different types of plastics, and while we say plastic is not good for our environment, that is not entirely true. Because different recyclable plastics are as equally important as other materials. Plastic provides our product with sturdiness and is the most reliable that ensures people the safety of not breaking even with heavy loads. No matter the organic materials, plastic is still important for packaging. Just keep in mind that plastic is a material that only recycles once so it is better to just avoid using it.
9. Organic Fabrics
Organic fabrics can also be used instead of plastic, which is a way better option provided the fact that fabric is recycled and protects the product to the maximum. There are a lot of biodegradable materials that decompose easily within a few months instead of taking hundreds of years for just degradation. These materials include palm leaves, recycled cotton, tapioca, hemp, etc. These fabrics are not only used for clothing. But also as bags for a hopefully better environment and future.
10. Edible Films
This is true that edible packaging has been made to reduce environmental pollution regarding non-recyclable materials. Isn’t it cool, that you randomly pick up a chocolate bar and then eat it straight up with its edible packaging? All this is possible through edible films. Edible films are one of the best alternatives to wraps on food items because they can both protect the product and store it properly. This has helped to highly reduce the chemicals leeching off of the plastic wraps.
Now you must be wondering how these edible films are made. Well, many products make edible films, but the only used material is chitosan, which is simply just sugar. It is also an abundant biopolymer, but obviously after cellulose because it is made from the shrimp’s chitin shells. Hence why you must switch to these edible films for having the best packaging which is protective and Eco friendly.
Wrapping It Up
The most important thing, after the product, is the packaging. A company practices about the packages and their shipping a lot so that they can have a go green signal for having a successful business. The most important of the packaging is the Eco-friendly one, as people have now come to realize the harm non-recyclable packaging can do to our environment! All these needs are realized by us, PackagingEver, and we provide you with the best designs along with the environmentally friendly packaging material of boxes.