"Green" Your Packaging

It's really important for me, that my packaging reflects my product. It should be important to you as well- after all how you package your items have a lot to do with your shops brand. Here are some tips to "green" your packaging and add to your customers buying experience.  

 I started out shipping in handmade brown paper bag envelopes, they offered just the touch I was looking for. They were affordable, eco friendly, but not water proof or durable enough to handle the rigorous routes of the USPS. I suppose I should mention that they can get to be a tad bit time consuming when your shipping out several packages a week. Soon after opening up on Etsy (and running low on glue sticks) I decided to explore other shipping options. 

Boxed Up:

• Right size your boxes! Choosing an appropriately-sized box for your product saves energy, cushioning supplies and reduces carbon emissions. You can also make smaller boxes out of bigger ones with a mat knife and a little packing tape. Get creative with green shipping!
• Find cardboard boxes made from recycled content – ask your shipping supplier for options. Recycled boxes are as strong as their counterparts, and by using them, you save trees, water and energy.
• If you can’t ship your products out in the same boxes you received them in, find another local business that can use them. You may even find a source for boxes to package your own merchandise

www.lifeboxcompany.com

I also found out about Life Box  its  a cardboard box that contains approximately one tree seed per square inch, so whether you send a Life Box or receive a Life Box, you could be responsible for starting a brand-new ecosystem. (Oh, how I wish they made envelopes! So neat!)

Fillers:

• Use shredded scrap paper or crumpled newspaper.
• Use previously-used peanuts for your green shipping endeavors. If you don't need the peanuts you receive for your own shipping needs, call the Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214 to find a drop-off location near you. Drop-off locations may also sell you the used peanuts they collect.
• If you need new peanuts, buy recycled or biodegradable. The ones made from cornstarch dissolve in water!
• Use recycled or recyclable bubble wrap and ask about take back or recycling programs offered by the manufacturer or your municipality. Even better, find a replacement for bubble wrap like cushioned craft packaging wrap.
• “Regift” what you can’t use! Many shipping storefronts will happily take used packing materials for future use.
• Using bubble wrap? Give it another chance- try using rubber bands to hold it in place instead of tape.
  
• Help your customers reuse and recycle. If you are using recyclable, reusable or biodegradable materials in your shipping, include a small note in your package or packing slip that instructs people how to reuse or recycle the packaging.

Green Field Paper Company

Don't forget to include a handwritten note on plantable paper! 

If you've already gone green with your packages tell me how. Need help brainstorming ideas? Ask- I'd love to help you incorporate some eco-initiatives within your handmade business.