Why Businesses Should Switch to Eco-Friendly Packaging

The current environmental crisis we are facing on a global scale is evidently having a direct impact on consumerism and shopping habits.

Significant issues such as plastic pollution and deforestation are causing consumers to have concerns over where their products are coming from, and what their effect is on the environment.

As a result, businesses are also beginning to incorporate sustainability and eco-friendly products and packaging into their services in order to cater to the conscious consumers’ needs. This development is hugely significant in terms of shaping the future of retail, as companies will need to evolve to retain and grow their customer bases due to the increasing awareness of environmental issues.

The Rise of Conscious Consumerism

A ‘conscious consumer’ is an individual that considers the social, ecological, environmental and political impact of products. A conscious consumer attempts to makes purchasing decisions that will have a positive impact on their community and environment.

Conscious consumerism is on the rise, with millennials leading the way. Claudia Romo Edelman suggests that ‘brands must respond to millennial consumers who buy with their beliefs’. Research shows that 33% of UK consumers are now concerned about the origin of their product and whether or not it has been made ethically.

Seventy-four percent of people are also willing to pay more for a product if it is guaranteed to be eco-friendly. It is hugely important that businesses adapt to meet these increasing demands not only to help the environment, but to also attract conscious consumers and improve sales.

Many large corporations have already began to adopt eco-friendly habits into their services. For example, McDonald’s is one of the first big chain restaurants to introduce the trialling of paper straws across the world, with many companies banning plastic straws altogether.

Iceland, the Wales supermarket chain store, has also famously stopped the use of palm oil in all of their own branded products due to the harmful effects of the deforestation involved in the sourcing of it.

Not only are these developments hugely positive in terms of helping to minimize our negative impact on the environment, but they are also a great result from a consumer perspective as there are now more options available for those that intend to purchase green and eco-friendly products.

How Eco-Friendly Packaging and Products can Benefit Your Business

There are many benefits of switching to eco-friendly products and packaging from a business perspective, but they can also benefit the lifestyle of the consumer purchasing the products. Here are just some of the positive benefits of eco-friendly products and packaging:

• Easy to dispose of – most eco-friendly items are recyclable

• Biodegradable – this means less waste and minimal harm to the environment

• Reduces carbon footprint – fewer energy is needed to product eco-friendly products

• Improves your brand image and attracts loyalty – positions your company as conscious with good morals

• It can be recycled and reused sustainably – when products can be reused it means less waste

• Can save you money – eco-products can be purchased in bulk meaning they cost less

• Lower shipping costs – as fewer materials are often used to make eco-friendly products and packaging, they weigh less and cost less to ship

• Healthier alternative for consumers – doesn’t contain harmful chemicals or materials that are known to cause health issues

Overall, the rise of awareness and implementation of eco-friendly items from a business and consumer perspective is hugely important, and it is gradually having more of a positive impact on our shopping habits as well as our general attitude and contribution towards the environment.

There is no better time to switch to eco-friendly packaging or products as a business if you haven’t already done so, as conscious consumerism is continuing to be hugely popular and is having a direct impact on the way in which consumers think.