Posted on 6th May 2021
by Jacqui Vear
Those are headline stats from a new survey, commissioned by Smurfit Kappa and The Financial Times.
The climate emergency is defining our generation and corporate culture needs to recognise that the sustainability agenda is driven by consumers.
Don’t wait for your competitors to respond, or for your customers to vote with their feet. The packaging of your products needs to be on your conscience and to-do list. The same survey reported that in the past six months more than half of consumers say they’ve purchased a product specifically because it had reusable or biodegradable packaging.
Reduce > Reuse > Recycle
Sustainable consumption is the goal and don’t worry that getting there might require more research or investment on your part, we’ll work on the solutions, which will be tested, costed and project managed by our specialist team.
Printed product or outer packaging made of paper, cardboard and paper over board is where we’re helping our client base of leading UK businesses.
Plain packaging resources are available too, yet we love to apply our graphic design skills to your sustainable packaging projects, for creative results that give your brand added profile and kudos! We’ll look at your bespoke requirements, with the mission of helping your win business and do business. As a starting point, let’s introduce you to three sustainable packaging products which you may not have come across before.
To create a sustainable and branded first impression, you can select kraft (brown) or white tape, available as standard in weights that range from 60gsm to 90gsm. Reinforced paper options are available for heavy packages and items that are being exported. Tape can be printed in up to three spot colours.
Until recently, the only paper tape was a gummed tape with a starch-based adhesive that is activated by water and requiring a specialist and bulky dispenser. Now self-adhesive paper packaging tape is a convenient and sustainable switch from vinyl and polypropylene tape, as it uses standard hand tape dispenser guns. Standard rolls have a 48mm core and offer 50m of tape, yet other widths and lengths are available.
Move over plastic bubble lined bags, these cushioned mailing bags are made completely of paper, so they’re fully recyclable and biodegradable. We’ll proudly print your brand and message to bags that are manilla (brown) or white, with dimensions ranging from 110 x 165mm to 350 x 470mm. They are made from responsibly sourced FSC® accredited paper and have a rigid inner design to protect the items in transit. The design is also space efficient, good news for the environmental impact and investment associated with delivery.
In 2020 73% of UK consumers are aware of the FSC® label and it can be included on relevant packaging products as assurance for your customers. (Two Sides Report: European Packaging Preferences 2020).
Recyclable, biodegradable and brandable, glassine tissue bags are the sustainable alternative to cellophane bags. If your product needs inner packaging, these bags are likely to tick your sustainability boxes. They are made from translucent paper and are smooth, dense and static-free, whilst being moisture and grease resistant. Glassine product bags are semi-transparent so that their contents can be viewed and for convenience they are self-sealing.
That’s a tough phrase to say and you might be feeling like its a tough brief to implement. Yet we’re here to help you give sustainable packaging the consideration that it deserves, and your customers expect. We’ll share the proposals, samples, graphic design and project management support your need, as part of our print management service. Everything starts with a conversation, so reach out and we’ll bring some ideas to the table.
