The conscious consumer is trying their best to lessen their impact on the environment and the health of the ocean by avoiding single-use plastics and buying from companies who use them. Many businesses are vowing to reduce their plastic waste over the coming years and the government aims to eliminate all ‘avoidable plastic waste’ by the end of 2042.
Removing or reducing single-use plastic from your warehouse and shipping processes may seem like a scary or costly process, but the benefits for both your business and the planet are numerous.
Your packing line is probably where you will find the most single-use plastic in your warehouse.
Boxes
Some boxes can contain traces of plastic meaning they aren’t actually recyclable. You can source boxes which are already made of 100% recycled card or paper, reducing environmental impacts and ensuring they can be recycled not binned after their use. You can also start a box return scheme which allows customers to send their delivery boxes back to you (for free) to be reused and recycled in-house. You will be surprised at how many of your customers will jump at the chance to return their box instead of having to recycle it themselves.
Making sure your box fits your products efficiently can also minimise the need for plastic packaging. Speak to your provider about specific bespoke boxes for products or a range of sizes which fit your products. Most packaging providers offer boxes which are more shock absorbent than ever and offer more protection to items during shipping, reducing the need for plastic protection inside the box.
Internal Packaging
Internal packaging is usually used as shock absorbers to protect items inside the box. They are usually made of plastic, like bubble wrap and air pillows. Some items are not suitable to send in a box alone and require more packaging to protect them.
Many packaging providers now offer plastic-free alternatives instead. Big distribution companies like Amazon have started using brown paper to fill spaces in delivery boxes which can be recycled upon delivery and stops items from becoming damaged during shipping. If you can, speak to your packaging provider about designing cardboard inserts which stabilise items in boxes stopping them from breaking during shipping. If you ship delicate items, there may be no way around using air pillows to avoid breakages, in these cases, you can source reprocessed and oxo-degradable items which are not as harmful to the environment, while again offering customers a chance to return packaging to you to be recycled.
Strapping
If you ship larger items in long boxes, you may need to use plastic or metal strapping to secure the box. You can now replace plastic strapping with sustainably sourced, strong packaging tape. As well as being more easily recycled that traditional plastic strapping, a tape is softer on boxes – helping you avoid crushing the box and takes up less storage space in your packing area. Plastic strapping has also been known to cause numerous health and safety issues in warehouses, which are all eradicated when replaced with tape.
Storage
Some large retailers have been changing the way they store garments in warehouses to remove the need of protective plastic covering that is binned as soon as it’s opened by customers. They have achieved this by installing systems of draws containing folded garments which are protected in sealed boxes until picked by warehouse workers. This simple solution removes the need for plastic to protect the garments from a warehouse environment.
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