Choosing The Right Eco-Friendly Packaging

I run my own businesses and something I have been hunting for is eco-friendly packaging. However, I need to keep within my budget.

I’m a holistic therapist and I create products for my clients. Given that I am an earth-friendly person, I had to opt for eco-friendly packaging which is really important and wanted to talk about this in more detail but also offer some ideas for you.

Packaging is important, this can be a very high cost or really bad quality. Ensuring you have the perfect packaging and not high in cost is helpful. You also want to ensure you have attractive packaging so people will want to keep buying for you. Why not consider custom mailers to make your brand stand out?

Bumping up the prices because of packaging is a nightmare, I have been there especially at the moment as the costs have increased and the availability has been bleak.

So selecting a new supplier has been important, but wanted to give some tips on choosing the right eco-friendly packaging but also tips on how to keep the costs down.

Why choose eco-friendly packaging?

Right now, there is too much plastic and packaging around that is not reusable or recyclable and people are becoming more aware.

I know when purchasing items, I look for items that have eco-friendly packaging as it makes me feel better knowing I am not contributing to the problem.

Many feel this way and can be a turn-off from your brand if they see you don’t use eco-friendly packaging.

Generally, they are cheaper, especially recycled packaging and they look really nice.

You are doing your part for the environment and that can help you feel like you are doing something positive.

Costs vs quality

The big question is costs vs quality and ensuring you have suitable packaging but keeping the costs as low as possible.

You have to factor the packaging into the costs for your business as every item or bundle of items will require some form of packaging.

When I looked at cheap packaging, I found the quality was really bad. But then the quality I wanted was very high in cost. So I had to meet myself in the middle and find the packaging I needed.

Buying in bulk is much better at keeping the costs low but you do need to have a bit of cash behind you in order to do so. The more you buy, the cheaper they are.

It might be worth shopping around also and see if you can get test samples of packaging to make sure you have the quality you need but at an affordable price.

Choose different sizes in packaging

When shopping, people tend to buy at small amounts these days, especially if you offer free shipping.

This means that they only need smaller packaging sizes rather than large packaging.

We have all purchased something small and wondered why the packaging is huge? Well, this is a lack of different sizes in packaging.

You use less padding in the packaging to keep the item from moving around, so this will also keep the costs low.

The costs for shipping are also lower if you are shipping smaller parcels. So it’s a win-win really. A great way to be an online savings master.

Cost your items to include packaging

When you are creating the costs for your products, make sure you are also getting in there the costs for packaging, otherwise, you may fall short in profit.

If you think items won’t sell on their own, rather they are to be paired with other things, you can lower the costs slightly to cover this.

It’s easier to have the costs included with your products. Rather than the shipping fees as you want the shipping fee’s to be shipping only.

Break down how much roughly each thing would cost. Your packaging, materials and time, then add a little more on for profit.

Look at other competitors and gauge how much they sell their products for. This will give you a ballpark figure to work with.

If you are using more premium materials, then you can increase the products.

Advertising that you are eco-friendly

It’s really important to make sure you are advertising the fact you are eco-friendly. Using companies like Packaging Chimp can give you a wide range of eco-friendly packaging to show off and this will help get you sales and give you a wider variety of customers who are looking for environmentally-conscious brands.

Popularity is increasing within eco-friendly packaging and items so it is important you make this clear, include it with your about me section, and company statement, and use symbols.

I’ve spoken to many shoppers lately and they all mention they look for eco-friendly products. Generally, they want to help the environment and believe they have better quality.

Why not have a section about how to recycle the products and offer a recycling scheme.

Recycling Scheme

A recycling scheme is a really good idea if you use glass or a form of plastic/metal that can be recycled and reused.

I offer a recycling scheme where customers/clients can send back their empty bottles for discounts or free products. They can also send them back to be reused and refilled at a discount too.

This means there is less packaging waste and can be reused over and over for the customers, but also giving them a cost-saving initiative.

Also saves you a very pretty penny if your customers are sending back packaging to be reused or refilled.

Final Thoughts

Eco-friendly is the way forward and you would be surprised how many look for this type of packaging.

It can be cost-effective if buying at a larger volume. Possibly worth considering buying in bulk with people in similar businesses.

Even consider giving something back to your customers such as recycling schemes or offer refills.

The packaging is just as important as the product!

I’m very much the type to take care of the planet and recently changed a lot to eco-friendly, organic clothing and also other things such as animal friendly.

*This is a collaboration post