The rise of sustainable packaging

Paper is one of the most sustainable and renewable materials, which can continually be recycled. It’s natural for one and businesses such as G.F Smith source their papers from virgin — not bleached — pulp, which is sourced from forests where trees are replaced or allowed to regenerate naturally.

Recycled paper can be used for packaging, business cards, brochures, coasters, bound books, gift tags and wrapping paper, to name but a few.

Check out G.F Smith’s Paper Conscious Collection.

Forget plastic polymailers, say hello to certified compostable mailers instead. Compostable mailers break down within 180 days in home compost, or 90 days commercially. Many come with double adhesive strips so they can be used twice (aka if you need to make a return, you can use the same mailer!)

One of the biggest ‘gripes’ for brands a couple of years ago was the lack of choice when it came to design and aesthetics for recyclable packaging—that's no longer the case!

We think this brand is on the sustainable path to enlightenment when it comes to compostable mailers: noissue.

The biodegradable and compostable outer packaging is great, but we want to talk about foam and product protection too.

A lot of packages are designed to protect a product, especially from impact in transit and storage. Foam is generally made from plastic but starch-based foam is becoming more popular in the UK. What’s more, it can be disposed of at home in water and dissolves in 60 seconds.

What makes it even better, is that it’s not only readily biodegradable but assimilated by soil micro-organisms as food. Cool, right?

We’ve not been asked to plug this #NotAnAd, but our client Zouch Converters has revolutionised a 100% compostable packaging foam called ZOUCH ecoCell.

It’s cool to be sustainable (and just generally kinder to our planet) and as everyone becomes more conscious of their own impact, we should be looking at ways in which we can improve our sustainability as businesses.

We love working with eco-friendly clients and when it comes to print that stands out, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, why not check out our Lead Designer’s must-see sustainable packaging.