Businesses are looking for sustainable ways to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. A recent consumer study across North America, Asia, and Europe found that consumers prefer eco-friendly packaging. Besides, many consumers also check the company’s environmental footprint before purchasing their products.
Can sustainable envelopes enable businesses to go green and reduce their carbon footprint? Let’s discuss.
What are Sustainable Envelopes?
Sustainable envelopes are envelopes made from recycled paper, fibers, or any other sustainable material. Why is this paper sustainable? Recycled paper is essentially a renewable material and is made from wood sourced from sustainable forests.
How do sustainable envelopes enable businesses to go green? There’s a lot more to know than one may realize. Let’s discuss.
How Do Sustainable Envelopes Reduce Carbon Footprint?
Here are some ways in which sustainable envelopes used in packaging can help businesses become more eco-friendly:
1. Reduction in shipping emissions
Packaging is one part of the overall product shipping operation. In fact, it is expected that by 2050, 17% of all global gas emissions will be caused by shipping. Sustainable packaging of these products can help in the overall reduction of greenhouse emissions, thus making it more environmentally-friendly.
2. Use of biodegradable material
As compared to plastic envelopes, sustainable envelopes use biodegradable material made from natural sources. Some examples of biodegradable packaging include compostable packaging, corrugated packaging, and glassine packaging. These packaging materials are durable enough to package a variety of items. More importantly, they are biodegradable and break down into natural substances in a short time.
3. Free from harmful chemicals
Traditional packaging products are known to contain harmful chemicals that are detrimental to the environment. Sustainable envelopes use chemical-free materials that can also be recycled for future use. Recycled materials produce less carbon, thus making them an eco-friendly resource.
Next, let’s talk about some of the business benefits!
6 Benefits of Sustainable Envelopes
Besides being cost-efficient and environment-friendly, sustainable envelopes provide many businesses multiple benefits, including the following:
1. Improves the brand image
Today’s consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products that they purchase. This can directly impact the brands that they choose. Thus, products made of toxic plastic material can harm the reputation of their manufacturing company.
On the other hand, brands that produce eco-friendly products or use sustainable packaging create a positive brand image among their consumers.
2. Serves multiple purposes
As compared to traditional packaging, these are versatile and fit a variety of products. They can be used across industries that need packaging, including cosmetics, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.
3. Maximizes space efficiency
Sustainable packaging is not only lighter but also more space-efficient compared to traditional packaging methods. This results in a reduced need for storage space during transportation, consequently lowering freight expenses for businesses. By optimizing space utilization, companies can now ship a greater volume of products in each consignment, thereby indirectly decreasing their shipping carbon footprint.
4. Beneficial for consumer health and well-being
Non-biodegradable packaging materials are known to be toxic and cause allergies for consumers. Hence, more consumers are concerned about their purchased products because of their impact on their health and well-being. Sustainable materials are free from toxins and chemicals, thus minimizing the chances of allergies or side effects on consumers.
5. Simplified disposal
Businesses need to be mindful of the waste generated by the disposal of their packaging materials after use, be it through recycling or biodegradation. Such envelopes or packaging offer a more convenient and eco-friendly disposal solution. Furthermore, they require fewer resources for recycling or disposal, ultimately contributing to a positive environmental impact.
6. Improved sales
According to Forbes, Generation Z demonstrates a strong inclination towards purchasing sustainable or eco-friendly products. As more individuals from this generation enter the consumer market, brands can anticipate increased sales of environmentally friendly offerings. Additionally, businesses can emphasize their commitment to sustainability when marketing their brand and products to younger demographics. This approach can stimulate greater interest in eco-friendly products, ultimately boosting sales revenues.
Also Read- A Closer Look: Envelope Manufacturing Equipment, Die Cut
Conclusion
In the age of climate consciousness, businesses can adopt eco-friendly or sustainable envelopes for their packaging requirements. These types of envelopes are durable and offer a host of business benefits, including a positive brand image among younger consumers.
At Continental Envelope, we operate one of the greenest envelope factories in the US. We take environmental sustainability very seriously by implementing practices like:
- Using paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- Recycling of water (used in production)
- Low-dust production environment
Besides, we are committed to complying with environmental regulations and encourage the use of environment-friendly products to our customers.
Looking for a reliable partner for your direct-mail envelope needs? We can help you. Contact us today.