Every single day, millions of custom printed shipping boxes circle the globe. The e-commerce markets float on sturdy boxes that comply with international standards and requirements.

A few years ago, these boxes would have been carelessly flung in the garbage. Persistent recycling was a faraway dream and most of us gave our consumption habits little thought.

But thankfully, things have changed!

Nowadays, we’re all aware of our overwhelmed landfills and we dutifully recycle to the best of our ability. And it’s easy to do so. Nearly 90% of Americans have access to curbside pickup or drop-off paper recycling programs. So there are no excuses.

As an e-commerce brand, it is crucial to reflect your customers’ changing sensibilities and understand their priorities. Sustainable and cleaner packaging now ranks high for many consumers. An effective way to join the bandwagon of environmentally-dutiful businesses and complying with customers’ demands is to start with the packaging boxes.

Even though you might have come across many arguments favoring plastic for reducing costs and convenience, the repercussions are far worse than the possible gains.

Here are some alluring and convincing facts about using sustainable boxes for shipping that would alter your packaging henceforth.

Eye-opening facts

The reason why environmental campaigns are gathering pace is due to some alarming stats:

• The average person generates about four pounds of trash every day.
• There are 25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean.
• Around 80% of the items in our landfills could be recycled.
• Packaging represents about 65% of household trash and it makes up about one-third of the waste in an average dump.

E-businesses are at the core of making a positive change as they use a higher proportion of boxes daily. There is ample hope going by the recent studies. These show that:

• In 2014, we generated nearly 70 million tons of paper and paperboard waste.  But around two-thirds was recycled.
• In 2014, only 28.4 percent of paper and paperboard waste went to our landfills.
• Recycling 2,000 pounds of paper, saves 17 trees and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.

Customers care about the environment

For brands who think that customers just eye for attractive shipping boxes, it is time to wake up to the change!  57% of respondents in a study said that green packaging is important to them, and 48% of people polled said they would consider switching brands if a product they received contained excessive or unsustainable packaging. Using eco-friendly packaging is thus, a smart branding and marketing decision.

How you choose to package your products says a lot about your brand. And sending orders in sustainable boxes is definitely going to add gravitas to your brand image.

Use this to market your brand on your websites and digital platforms. Customers don’t fall short on noticing how committed a brand is to ensuring customer satisfaction.

What can your business do?

Several steps can reduce wastages and imbibe cleaner custom printed shipping boxes materials for your e-brand. Here are some of them:

• Opt for corrugated, cardboard, or Kraft card stock. Even though corrugated is
• ideal for shipping, the inner product packaging can also be revamped using cardboard or Kraft paper.
• Use corrugated bubble wrap or recyclable air pillows for added protection.
• Use less paper. Obviously, you still want to protect your items, but excess padding is unnecessary. Custom sizes will save you on shipping costs, as well.

Research in packaging innovation supports lowering carbon footprints through using greener materials. Paper bags have effectively replaced plastic shopping bags and paper straws are becoming popular. Likewise, hundreds of options can help utilize cleaner materials for your product packaging.

How to make it work?

Many e-businesses worry about sending their products in good forms. They spend a lot of effort and resources in creating strong and effective custom packaging.

Many times, the boxes cost more than the brand had planned for or fall short of providing constructive protection to the products. Both the scenarios are unfavorable as they pile on costs and deter brand growth.

You will be pleased to know that corrugated stock is the most widely used shipping box material. It comes in 3 grades depending on the wall intensity required. So, your brand can ship even the most sensitive items to practically anywhere in the world!

Sustainable packaging materials are flexible enough to be molded in numerous creative forms. If you are opting for corrugated stock it doesn’t have to be boring and barren. A splash of color and design can add a much-needed wow factor to your branding and make it more visible.

Printing effects

How does Amazon brand itself so efficiently while staying true to its commitment towards its customers? The brand has set new benchmarks for shipping boxes. Every e-brand now competes directly or indirectly with Amazon and eBay in fulfilling customers’ expectations.

The trick is to use modern print-enhancing tools such as laminations, die-cutting, coatings, embossing, and foil stamping, among others, to entice buyers. These also keep the boxes from fading away or getting mutated along the way. So, customers get the boxes in exactly the same condition as they left your warehouse.

Sparkling shades connect instantly with customers and improve their shopping experiences. As a result, they are more likely to reorder and might even post their reviews online!

Printing also conveys a host of important info to customers. This shows care for the environment and sparks curiosity among the target customers.

All in all, sustainable custom printed shipping boxes are your new branding heroes. People consider using cleaner materials as much as they desire the products to function properly. The good news is that this form of branding is cost-effective and falls lighter on the already strained profit margins.

Conclusion

It’s never too late to make a packaging shift and it’s essential that you do it now. Your customers are looking forward to their shipping boxes. The important thing is to make a start.