Why Eco Friendly Packaging is Smart Business
There are many people in the packaging industry who might say that focusing on eco friendly packaging is a waste of time and money. After all, on the surface eco friendly packaging might cost more thanks to a custom design process and the potential of more expensive manufacturing materials, such as bio-resins or bamboo.
However, dismissing the idea of eco friendly packaging ends up being a poor business decision for many reasons:
1. Consumer Interest
Never underestimate the power of a trend on consumerism, no matter how well intentioned the trend might or might be. After all, over 50 percent of shoppers state that they would pay more for environmentally friendly packaging. As environmental awareness rises, consumers begin to see eco friendly packaging as not only a good move for the environment but as trendy as well. Once companies tap into a popular consumer trend, they gain the attention (and money) of more consumers.
2. Brand Awareness
Since more consumers are looking for eco friendly packaging to buy, companies that tap into this desire connect their brand to the concept of environmentally friendly products and packaging in the mind of the consumer as well. If a consumer thinks of a brand as particularly eco friendly, they are more likely to remember that brand.
Targeted marketing campaigns that bring to light the efforts of a brand to act in an eco friendly manner will get the attention of consumers as well. For example, one beverage manufacturer used less plastic in its water bottles and advertised the fact that the company cut almost 2.5 billion pounds of packaging in 10 years.
Other companies, such as Dell Computers have begun to use more environmentally friendly material in their product packaging, such as bamboo, which is a sustainable crop. Dell also posted a picture of their new bamboo packaging on its Flickr page, which went on to be blogged about, posted on Facebook and tweeted about on Twitter by interested consumers.
3. Brand Loyalty
Not only do consumers want to find brands that are eco friendly but also approximately 50 percent of consumers said that they would buy more of a product that they knew used environmentally friendly materials. After consumers buy a certain brand more than once, they are more likely to be loyal to that brand. And, of course, brand loyalty means profits.
4. Responsibility
It must be noted that eco friendly packaging is, essentially, the responsible move to make for the environment as well. Companies that reduce their own carbon footprint are acting to reduce global warming and help improve the environment as a whole. While of course businesses cannot ignore the practical aspect of the cost (and benefit) of eco friendly packaging, there is some satisfaction in knowing that increasing sustainability and reducing waste is the right thing to do.
5. Cost Benefit
The good news is that eco friendly packaging also happens to be cost effective. When companies reduce the material used in packaging, manufacturing costs less overall.
In addition, when products weigh less (thanks to less material) it costs less to ship. For example, one canned food company reduced the use of PVC in its packaging and thereby increased the number of units that fit onto each truck. This change resulted in 14,000 gallons of fuel less than before the company made the switch to less PVC.
MJS Packaging
When it comes to eco friendly packaging, the truth is that consumers want it, they react well to it and environmentally friendly packaging reduces costs and increases profits. Moreover, it is the responsible road to take in terms of reducing your company’s carbon footprint.
Find a packaging solutions company to help you create a custom eco friendly design for your packaging and manufacturing and start taking advantage of environmentally friendly efforts as soon as possible. Call MJS Packaging, a company with over 125 years of experience, to being the process today at 800-915-2262.
