You may be running a reputable company that ensures all customers are satisfied with the products you send them, but you also want to run your business in an ethical and eco-friendly way. One of the biggest environmentally damaging business practices can include the amount of product waste that is developed when sending packages.
Whether you are a major business owner or someone who likes to send friends and family packages in a way that does not escalate your carbon footprint, there are a few ways to keep your courier service green. Here are a few things to consider when sending packages in an eco-friendly way, showing that packaging does not have to be environmentally damaging:
1. Downsize, Downsize, Downsize
Reducing the size of your carbon footprint starts by reducing the size of your shipping packages. This means getting a package that is the most appropriate size for the product you want to send. This avoids wasted space within the package or using too much packaging material to transfer.
2. Make use of Recycled Materials in Your Packaging
You can get a lot of use out of paper, cardboard, and plastic. Reusing these materials for package filler can prevent a lot of these products from ending up in your landfill. There are many other biodegradable materials that you can incorporate into your packaging supplies, such as: corn starch (which can come in the form of packing peanuts or smaller packages), paper and cardboard (these products are firm and even better – they are also very biodegradable.
Unlike hard plastics, paper and cardboard plastics will erode in a few months if shredded and soaked in water), biodegradable plastic (not all plastic is bad, some forms of it will degrade when exposed to sunlight), and bubble wrap (it’s not only a fun packaging product, but it can decompose much more quickly than other package fillers).
3. Encourage Buyers to Send Packaging Back to You
The number one way to protect the environment from harmful materials is by keeping these products out of the landfill in the first place. As a business owner, you have the ability to introduce a basic reward system for customers who send packaging back to your address. This can come in the form of coupons, an on-site point system that gives them credits to purchase other products on your site, etc. Once you get the packaging back, you can continue to reuse it as long as it is structurally feasible.
Using these tactics, you and your business can severely cut down on costs and the size of your carbon footprint. A few other tips and tricks include using a post office pick-up service (some postal services will come to the address of your business and pick up the package that you are sending off.
Since delivery trucks are already out and about, picking up your package will save you the trip and carbon emissions from your vehicle), sending items in bulk (sending more products in one shipment spares the environment more carbon emissions), etc.
