What would you pay to make a first impression that lasts?
How much of your budget is spent on brand reputation and sentiment?
What price does your business place on environmental sustainability?
Rather than splashing cash to meet each demand separately, small businesses can make a single smart move to cover these costs and make a valuable investment in their future.
As consumers become more conscious of how their purchases impact the environment, small businesses have no choice but to meet their demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Eco benefits
Switching to sustainable packaging presents an environmental win-win situation. Packaging that is biodegradable, compostable, recyclable and reusable diverts waste from landfill and helps a business reduce its carbon footprint.
Additionally, a recent Nielsen survey showed up to 73 per cent of global consumers will change where they shop to reduce their environmental impact, highlighting a clear business case for sustainable packaging.
One favoured option is recyclable packaging made from materials like paper and cardboard that can be broken down through traditional recycling channels and made into something new.
Increasingly, consumers are seeking out biodegradable and compostable packaging made from natural fibres such as mailer bags made from cornstarch and Greenline paper fillers. These break down easily in industrial and home composting environments in a matter of weeks.
Enhanced unboxing experience
Research suggests anywhere from 80 per cent to 95 per cent of consumer purchasing behaviour is influenced by emotions.
In short, if someone likes the look of an item, they are more likely to buy it. Packaging is the last chance small businesses have to make a great first impression.
Eco-packaging has long evolved from its raw and rustic origins to present businesses and consumers with a multitude of aesthetic choices. New-generation honeycomb wrap is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bubble wrap and its unique interlocking 3D design offers a visually appealing in-box presentation.
Recyclable paper tape not only securely seals cartons but can be customised with company logos and bespoke designs for added “wow factor” during the unboxing experience before being placed in a household recycling bin.
Creating an exciting unboxing experience makes it more likely consumers will share their experience across social media, creating user-generated content (UGC) that builds brand recognition.
UGC is one of a small business’s most valuable marketing tools: it is organic, carries the validity of a word-of-mouth recommendation and requires no financial outlay to produce.
Positive brand reputation
Customers want to know that a business aligns with their environmental values and sustainable packaging is a clear physical demonstration of this.
As a small business, eco-friendly packaging tells customers that social and environmental responsibility holds as much importance as the financial bottom line, offering a unique and valuable selling point.
Taking clear and deliberate steps towards sustainability shows customers that a business is the right one for them to support.
Economic savings
Most small business owners agree that cost remains a key consideration when selecting packaging.
In great news for financial and environmental balance sheets, eco-packaging offers lean and green benefits by reducing unnecessary packaging components and increasing efficiency.
A ceramics homeware company based in Western Australia reduced its packaging costs by 30 per cent and cut cardboard usage by 50 per cent by switching to recyclable cushioning.
Another client reduced packaging costs by 56 per cent by switching to a renewable tissue wrap that can be reused, recycled or composted after use.
It’s abundantly clear sustainable packaging materials are the way of the future and by making the switch now, small businesses can begin to reap the environmental and financial rewards.
