Nearly every product across the world is sold in some form of packaging; whether it’s tissue paper, cardboard or plastic. Packaging is coming under more and more scrutiny with an increasing number of people refusing single-use plastic, and package-free shops are popping up in towns and cities around the world.
So, it’s safe to say a lot of people think they can live without packaging, but can they? Let’s take a look:
The practical side of packaging
The sole purpose of a product’s packaging, whether it’s fruit, a handbag, or a television, is to protect the contents, and make it safe to transport. If supermarkets used no packaging at all, it’d be a logistical nightmare to safely get eggs, soup, or milk home in one piece or without there being any waste. If you buy a new television online, you’d want it to arrive in pristine condition, and rightly so. No-one would dare to send it without any protection – it goes from a warehouse, to at least one courier distribution hub, to the back of a van, to arriving at your front door, so it’s going to need a fair amount of packaging to keep it safe.
So there’s definitely instances where packaging is actually an essential, but where could we try going package free?
The reality of no packaging
Using no packaging at all would have a huge knock-on effect throughout every supply chain. No packaging in even just a few aisles of a supermarket for instance would cause a significant amount of unnecessary waste and potentially could actually be worse for the planet. Plastic wrapped fresh fruit and vegetables can be the cause for a lot of frustration for consumers as all it does is act as a seemingly pointless barrier getting in the way of you using them. However, a shrink wrapped cucumber can stay fresh for 14 days, compared to just 3 days if unwrapped – suddenly that plastic doesn’t seem so pointless. Indeed, without it food waste would double.
The compromise
In these instances alone, it’s fair to say packaging is fully justified. The materials used however should definitely be up for debate, as we simply can’t continue consuming the amount of plastic and other raw materials at the rate we currently are. With the rise of the anti-plastic agenda, manufacturers are turning to exploring and sourcing renewable materials which will have a significantly lower environmental impact, such as films made from potatoes and fungi. There are other simple changes which would have a much larger impact on a global scale, such as swapping plastic fruit trays for cardboard. In fact, in an experiment on consumers eco sentiment and behaviour, 92% of those asked chose the plastic free option when offered the same product in card-based packaging vs plastic packaging.
The demand is there, so it’s no longer a question of if, but when we’ll see these changes in place.
Ask the experts
If you have any questions or need advice on choosing the right eco friendly packaging for you and your business please contact us. eCommerce despatch operations are our speciality so if you have any unanswered questions or require further assistance then please get in touch – we’ll be more than happy to help.
