Everyone loves the feeling of receiving a package, but we don’t always think of the disposal process for the materials that carry the product. Nowadays, we are fortunate to have many businesses and individuals making great strides to give more sustainable packaging alternatives. These companies have helped provide easier ways to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle previously unrecyclable materials to give the packaging industry a greener outlook.
Paper Packaging
Ranpak is a great example of leading by example when making the planet greener. They have eco-friendly packaging solutions that make finding effective alternatives to protect your products easier than ever.
From void fill to cold chain temperature-regulating products, Ranpak gives businesses easy access to 100% recyclable material that protects products better than traditional non-recyclable packaging materials.
Compostable Packaging
Noissue, a company based in New Zealand, has aimed to provide other businesses with more sustainable custom options for product packaging. Whether it’s boxes, tissue paper, or stickers, noissue allows consumers the option to compost, recycle, or even do both. Did you know, some packaging materials break down within 180 days (or 90 days in commercial composting conditions), greatly decreasing waste and other harmful toxins that spread to the soil and air when we throw materials in landfills?
Some of the packaging alternatives offered by noissue are corrugated packaging, glassline packaging, cellulose packaging, cornstarch packaging, sturdy mushroom packaging, kraft paper, and green cell foam.
Trick-or-Trash
In 2019, Rubicon started its Trick-or-Trash campaign to help reduce candy wrapper waste. Traditionally, most candy wrappers are not recyclable because they contain residues and aluminum. By sending out pre-labeled boxes for businesses, schools, community organizations, and homes, Rubicon partners with G2 Revolution to recycle candy wrappers. Once boxes are received, G2 Revolution inspects all wrappers to discard non-recyclable materials. Then, it turns the cleaned wrappers into pellets for processing to create new products.
Rubicon also partnered with Mars to offer recyclable trick-or-treat bags last October, showing they want to reduce landfill waste of all kinds. Rubicon and G2 Revolution aim to educate youth to work together to care for the planet.
Frugalpac
The Frugal Bottle, introduced in June of 2020, has brought a lighter weight and more sustainable packaging option for wine and spirits. This bottle has a carbon footprint up to 6x lower than a glass bottle, consisting of 94% paperboard.
In addition to these sustainable qualities, the Frugal Bottle also allows for 360-degree branding instead of only being able to market on labels. This new opportunity will enable brands to make more unique artwork for their bottles.
The Frugal Cup, Frugal Carton, and Frugal Pot are other solutions to come out of Frugalpac. Unlike other containers, these sustainable alternatives include easily removable liners to recycle the materials separately and properly. With all of the great work that Frugalpac is putting into making recycling easier, we can expect more businesses to use these eco-friendly options in the future.
Hopes for a Greener Future
With great packaging solutions like these to reduce waste, it’s now up to businesses and consumers to implement new practices and products into their daily lives. The goal to reduce, reuse, and recycle is often overlooked by restrictions to recycling in certain areas or certain materials in “recyclable” products that prevent them from being properly disposed of. Join us with our continued goal of giving the packaging industry a greener outlook.