Having the right packaging is essential for online retailers. When customers receive their much-awaited products, the packaging it arrives in can make or break their experience. It could encourage repeat business or lead to numerous bad reviews, so it’s worth getting right the first time around.
With such pressure to perform on a national or international level, eCommerce businesses are seeking out better packaging solutions to impress their customers, outcompete their rivals and become more sustainable. Eco-friendly eCommerce packaging has the right credentials, so why should businesses aim for sustainability for their shipments?
The Advantages of Eco-Friendly eCommerce Packaging
There’s a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers demanding more action from small to large businesses to cut their carbon footprint, reduce waste and help protect the environment. Eco-friendly eCommerce packaging can help, as it:
- Gives Consumers Better Options for Disposal
With recyclable, biodegradable and compostable properties, cardboard and paper-based packaging can be disposed of in a way that suits the consumer without leaving them feeling guilty. If no recycling options are available, home-composting helps customers give something back to the planet with their online purchase, allowing them to offset the carbon used to make the delivery. If only general waste is available, customers can be comfortable disposing of their waste, safe in the knowledge that their packaging will degrade quickly and without harming the environment, unlike plastic or other synthetic materials.
- Connects Businesses with an Eco-Conscious Consumer Base
Generating positive customer engagement is vital for businesses that are reliant on their online presence to communicate with their audience. That’s why eCommerce packaging is such an integral part of online retailers’ overarching marketing strategy. A clever custom design printed on sustainably sourced materials can inspire customers to share pictures of their products on social media, which makes great content for businesses. Adding a branded hashtag or a catchy slogan is an easy and effective way to help initiate these online interactions, in turn, promoting the brand.
- Protects Packages and the Planet
Ensuring that shipments arrive in one piece is crucial to maintaining good customer relationships and reducing the number of returns to process. To achieve this, some businesses use plastic packaging, which is incredibly durable and resistant to damage. The downside is that oil-based packaging like plastic is highly toxic to the environment. It takes hundreds of years to degrade, and when it does, it leaks chemicals back into the atmosphere, causing significant damage to humans and wildlife.
Eco-friendly options are just as durable without the environmental drawbacks of synthetic packaging. By switching to greener packaging, eCommerce businesses can make sure the products won’t get damaged in transit while reducing landfill waste at the same time.
- Increases the Perceived Value of Products
There are swathes of poor-quality, cheaply made products saturating online marketplaces. This makes it hard for independent retailers to compete with low-priced products that prioritise cost over longevity. Here, packaging can be used to counteract tacky, imitation products by communicating quality, sustainability and care to customers. A custom design made from eco-friendly materials can set eCommerce businesses apart from their competitors, showcasing the brand’s creativity and consciousness to its customers.
Is Eco-Friendly eCommerce Packaging Worth the Investment?
Recent studies indicate that 52% of consumers base their purchases on a product’s eco-friendly credentials, while another 21% actively avoid unsustainable brands. And as this trend is set to continue, it’s increasingly important that eCommerce businesses make the switch to greener packaging solutions.
While better quality packaging products may come at a slightly higher cost, businesses are likely to see a far greater return on investment over the coming weeks, months and years. Not only does a move to more sustainable packaging benefit businesses, but it also helps protect the environment by preserving the planet’s resources, making it a positive change that brands can be proud of.
Content Provided By Meyer Industrial