Sustainable packaging is transitioning from a fringe trend to the mainstream, as more and more consumers demand solutions that meet both their needs and the environment’s. The Millennial generation, in particular, is pursuing products made from recyclable materials or renewable packaging. And, according to predictions from the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, this trend is only going to continue to grow.
Sustainability is a competitive advantage.
Sustainable package presents an opportunity for companies to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market. Environmentally-friendly solutions have evolved from being a “nice to have” green effort to a competitive advantage. For example, Nestle Waters North America launched a water bottle entirely from recycled plastic—a first for the product line.
Nestle Pure Life water bottles, a 700-milliliter bottle, is made only with recycled polyethylene terephthalate, a form of polyester. This display of commitment to green efforts continues to expand Nestle’s efforts to increase use of recycled goods and streamline plastic use in recent years.
For Nestle, making the move to environmentally sustainable packaging is core to its purpose and brand. They’ve used the move to promote their efforts via social media, including encouraging end users to recycle the bottle again and again. Nestle has also announced that its cut down on its use of PET plastic by 40 percent since 2005. Considering Americans purchase more than 11 billion gallons of water annually, Nestle’s efforts can have a significant impact.
The rise of the conscious consumer
In today’s world, where consumers have more channels than ever before to voice concerns and speak up about preferences, they’ve let it be known: they care about the origins of the products they buy and the food they consume. Today’s consumers are educated, on social media, and they care about the values of the companies they choose to buy from—sustainability and environmental impact being just one issue among many.
This means consumers are not just demanding the use of recycled materials, they are also asking that companies cut down on waste overall, reducing the amount of materials in packaging, and its overall footprint. They want thinner packaging, lighter materials, recyclable goods. This has challenged companies to evaluate their product lines (how can they package goods at a fast speed, while possibly using lighter, more delicate materials?) as well as their brand promise (for example, Amazon’s Certified Frustration-Free Packaging Program communicates to customers that products with that label can be recycled without excessive use of materials).
Recycle1 is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes re-evaluate the way they manage and process their waste. This includes custom recycling programs, and programs designed to help you profit by reselling materials so that others can use them in the production of their products. We can guide you through the entire process, helping you to streamline your waste management while cutting costs (or—in many cases—adding an entirely new revenue stream!). Contact us to learn more.
