Materials and Packaging

Currently, 91% of packaging waste is sent to landfill and/or the environment and not properly recycled. 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year having major negative effects on marine life. An easy way to reduce your business' carbon footprint is switching to recyclable materials and packaging. 

Here are some ways to make your packaging more environmentally friendly:

• Use less packaging in general
• Switch from plastic to paper bags
• Ensure your packaging has clear, easily visible instructions on how to recycle/compost it
• Switch to recyclable packaging, for example, paper instead of plastic
• Use locally sourced materials in your packaging
• Move away from polystyrene and bubble wrap, to protect products consider paper fillings or cardboard protectors
• If you have a physical location for your business, consider having a drop off point for customers to bring your packaging back to you so you can either reuse it or ensure it is recycled correctly, especially if it is not recyclable by local authorities

If you work in the food/beverage industry, here are some ways to make your materials/packaging more environmentally friendly:

• Avoid plastic cutlery, instead use wooden or reusable ones
• Encourage customers to bring their own reusable cups by offering incentives such as price reductions or loyalty cards
• Instead of having individual sugar sachets, have a container with lose sugar in and a spoon to avoid packaging waste
• Serve food in recyclable cardboard containers instead of plastic
• Offer alternatives to animal products such as dairy-free milk, vegan and vegetarian foods and try to avoid upcharging for them to encourage more customers to purchase them
• Source your products locally where possible