Where to Buy Eco-Friendly Packaging + 6 FAQs on Sustainable Packaging

With thousands of innovative solutions on the market, the type, style, and sustainability of your product’s packaging can have major implications on your branding and image.

And with nearly every multi-national brand having a green pledge, growing operations entering the sustainable packaging realm may be asking “what is eco-friendly packaging” or “where can I source sustainable packaging materials?” 

Below, we’ll answer those questions, and 5 of the other most frequently asked questions about sustainable packaging. 

Where to Buy Eco-friendly Packaging + 6 Other FAQs About Sustainable Packaging 

What is eco-friendly packaging?

Eco-friendly packaging is anything that reduces: 

• Waste by material type 

When choosing a sustainable package material, ensure it’s either recyclable or biodegradable in order to reduce the amount of physical waste related to a good. 

• Physical waste amounts

When designing your packaging, sustainability starts with designing the right-size packaging. Replacing superfluous protective packaging with a proper design can increase the protective nature of packaging while decreasing associated waste. 

• Carbon emissions in the distribution cycle

Efficiency is key in every global market, and efficient packaging is an important part of the process. Beyond current shipping constraints and backlogs, ensuring that your packaging is conducive to mass-shipping is an important factor when considering its overall sustainability. 

Many efficient companies utilize a design that can be shipped flat and then assembled on-site for reduced carbon emissions. Beyond that, using the right type of packaging for your specific item reduces returns and the wasteful back-and-forth due to damages.   

Is paper packaging eco-friendly?

The short answer is yes!

Paper packaging is some of the most sustainable packaging and has one of the highest recyclability rates of any material. Since most communities, townships, and cities have established recycling programs, recycling paper material is as easy as setting it out next to the trash! 

Where can I buy eco-friendly packaging? 

Sourcing eco-friendly packaging can be challenging, especially with the mass amount of options available. To ensure you’re getting truly sustainable packaging, it’s important to partner with a knowledgeable single-source partner that has experience selling a plethora of sustainable materials. 

CS Packaging offers a wide range of sustainable packaging materials and our talented sales staff can help ensure your packaging design is efficient and sustainable. For more information on sustainable and protective packaging, and CS Packaging’s capabilities, download our free Protective Packaging Guide below:

How can I make my packaging sustainable? 

To answer this question, we need to look at 3 different areas in the packaging realm: the material type, the packaging use-case, and whether your material is reusable or not. 

Have more questions about sustainable packaging? Check out our “What is Sustainable Packaging” guide for more help in identifying and defining what sustainable packaging is and isn't, and why it’s important to your brand.  

Is sustainable packaging more expensive?

When looking at sustainable packaging as a whole, generally the costs are the same in the long run as they are for other packaging types. While some specific items are more expensive when made from sustainable materials, companies can increase profits and decrease wasted capital by being sustainable! 

An example would be a business sending the smallest packages as possible, in turn reducing the item costs and associated shipping costs. Another example would be a business using proper packaging to eliminate damages and returns or one that engages in a recycling or corrugated buy-back program. 

With the current trend towards sustainable packaging, most businesses that invest in eco-friendly materials see an increase in volume because consumers prioritize working with sustainable companies.

Why is sustainable packaging important?

In a global economy and e-commerce world, nearly everything we use involves packaging, with some goods needing multiple packages along the supply chain cycle. Using sustainable materials and reducing, reusing, and recycling (RRR) packaging means we are RRR’ing a large percentage of what we use in our daily lives! This gives us peace of mind that we are preserving both the business and the planet for the future. 

In current-day settings, sustainable packaging also makes your brand more desirable as it shows consumers you care for the environment.  

Is corrugated packaging sustainable?

Yes -- of all the packaging materials, paper and corrugated packaging have the highest recyclability rates since most communities, towns, and cities have established recyclable routes similar to trash collection. 

For more information about corrugated boxes and packaging options, check out our free guide to understanding corrugated flutes.  I understand that we want to plug an article but this one doesn't seem relevant, is there another we can plug? 

Sustainable Packaging: Partner With a Trusted Supplier

It’s no secret that product packaging is oftentimes much more complex than consumers think. To stay competitive and relevant in the ever-changing product markets, brands need to invest serious capital into their product packaging and branding to ensure their customers are getting the best level of protection with the most eco-friendly materials. 

But with a plethora of packaging types, sizes, and options, brands can easily deploy a deceptive sustainable packaging stratagem. Therefore it can get challenging to identify what is truly sustainable and what is not. 

Working with an advanced sustainable packaging provider can help bring clarity and guidance on how to expertly package goods and which type of eco-friendly packaging materials to choose. 

Want to learn more about protective packaging instead? Download our free protective packaging guidelines today below: