The Importance of Eco-friendly Packaging

Being environmentally conscious has become a catchphrase for both businesses and consumers lately. It implies that a person or a company is taking measures to reduce their negative influence on the environment. And one of the most common places for businesses to make modifications is in their packaging.

According to a survey conducted by DHL Express, packaging will be in the limelight over the next five years, as firms and customers seek sustainable packaging materials and less waste.^[1] New attempts to reduce waste, promote green materials and establish convenient recovery mechanisms are being driven by the demand for more sustainable transport. Leading merchants are responding to these demands by offering hassle-free and recyclable packaging, seizing the new chance to please customers with aesthetically beautiful and easily accessible package features.

What is the importance of eco-friendly packaging?

As a result of globalisation and the E-commerce boom, the entire volume of online delivery is increasing at a rapid speed and packages are now travelling further through more complex and longer cross-border supply chains.

On one hand, online purchasing is saving customers’ time and money by reducing their journeys to the store and cutting down on emissions, the modern culture of as-fast-as-possible shipping negates these benefits. Luckily, with eco-friendly packaging options, businesses can reduce their overall carbon footprint and ensure that waste doesn’t accumulate in other parts of the environment like the ocean or rivers. DHL’s climate-neutral GOGREEN services round out a suite of green reporting and optimisation services, helping you achieve your environmental goals.

What are the best practices to decrease packaging waste?

The best practices to reduce packaging waste are:

a)  Prevent using double boxes for orders unless absolutely necessary.

b)  Combine orders from the same user into a single shipment.

c)   Avoid using oversized packaging or shipping boxes.

d)  Use the least amount of packaging filler to keep your goods secure inside.

What are the benefits of eco-friendly packaging?

Sustainable packaging presents a wide range of benefits for both customers and the environment.

• Lesser dependence on fossil fuels: To lower the environmental impact of packaging production, green packaging tries to use less fossil fuel energy. DHL’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) is a wonderful alternative to fossil fuels for powering commercial airplanes to help cut emissions.

• Increased use of renewable energy resources: Some green packaging makers utilise paper made from agricultural fibres instead of paper made by cutting down forests.

• Decreased use of natural resources: Green packaging businesses help to reduce natural resource usage by creating minimum packaging. This reduction ensures that resources will be available for future generations on our planet.

DHL’s contribution towards sustainable packaging

As the world's largest logistics firm, we believe that it is our obligation to lead others and be a sustainability frontrunner in our sector. We believe that reducing our business' carbon footprint and setting the highest social and governance standards are critical.

Not only did we introduce the industry’s first green product but we are also the first logistics provider company to commit to a zero-emissions target by 2050. Our goal is to provide the industry's most comprehensive array of green products and solutions and we think that by working together with our customers, we can make a major difference in the world.

With our extensive green product and solution range, we assist our customers in reducing emissions across the logistics value chain and achieving their sustainability goals through green optimization. With the help of our eco-friendly packaging materials, we help optimize our consumers’ supply chain and reduce emission, waste and other environmental impacts.

Get in contact with us today to learn more about how DHL can help you reduce the environmental impact of your supply chain.