In the first quarter of 2024, the US recorded a whopping $290 billion in retail eCommerce sales. The growth of e-commerce boomed during COVID-19 and continues to grow rapidly. As of 2024, 2.71 billion people are shopping online and 20.1% of retail purchases occur online. With so many consumers making virtual purchases, the shipping and packaging process has never been so crucial.
People turn to the internet to buy anything and everything. To ensure that products arrive undamaged to consumers, protective packaging that can withstand regional and global shipping has become more important than ever. However, with the increase in shipping, we also see an increase in packaging waste that gets accumulated.
From plastic packaging to protective bubble wrap, we produce 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste annually. And unfortunately, only 9% of that is recycled. With sustainability growing to be an alarming concern, 89% of consumers believe it is the responsibility of brands to minimize the impact made on the environment. Thus, brands must be mindful of the packaging choices that are made, finding protective yet low-impact packaging to satisfy their consumers.
According to the US EPA, paper has a 68% recycling rate as opposed to the 9% for plastics. Thus, by using paper and cardboard-based packaging, you can choose to opt for more biodegradable solutions or help to increase the probability of your packaging being recycled. With the rate of getting recycled 91.4% of the time, corrugated packaging solutions such as mailer boxes are a great starting point.
Made of cardboard with fluting, they are fully recyclable with additional cushioning to brace small external forces during shipping. With PackMojo, they can be fully customizable, allowing you to add your branding directly to the packaging. Its structure allows it to be used as a shipping box as well thus eliminating the need for separate product and shipping containers which can often lead to additional waste. However, for those who are looking for additional protection, here are four additional solutions you may want to consider.
Custom Box Dividers & Inserts
If you’re looking for a solution to reduce the movement of your products inside packaging, a simple solution could be to add custom box dividers. These divisions, which can be made with corrugated material for extra protection, can not only protect your products but also organize your products within.
Similar to box dividers but made to custom fit your products, custom box inserts can increase the protective factor of your packaging. By securing your products in place, they ensure your products aren’t jostling around during shipping and therefore minimizing the potential damage that can be caused. They often require a structural design process in which packaging engineers consider your products are well distributed within the packaging to maximize your insert’s protective potential.
Though they can be made using a variety of materials, paper, and corrugated materials are a sustainable option that also allows you to add custom print. While protecting your products, custom box inserts also help the aesthetic appeal of your packaging, ultimately creating a more memorable unboxing experience. This additional space also acts as additional printable real estate that you can fill with branding designs or even additional product information.
Paper-based Void Fillers
Another way you can reduce the movement of your products within packaging is by using void fillers. Not only do they help to fill void space within your packaging, but they can also help slightly to brace against unexpected forces and impacts during transport. Traditionally, we’ve seen packaging peanuts and plastic air pillows being used as void fillers. However, to minimize plastic use, brands can consider using shredded paper or corrugated materials as an alternative.
For those looking for a more mess-free solution ornament shreds can be used. Ornament shred is paper and corrugated cardboard that is slightly shredded up. The shredding gives it similar protective properties to fully shredded materials. However, it is kept as one piece in order to reduce the mess. Because it stays as one piece, it's a great low-waste option that is both recyclable and biodegradable.
Packaging paper can similarly be used as a void filler. Similar to ornament shred, the messy cleanup that often comes with shredded paper. As packaging paper is often just kraft paper, this means that it can have multipurpose use around the office. After use, it can also be easily repurposed or recycled.
Paper-based Bubble Wrap Alternatives
When it comes to more fragile items, void fillers can sometimes be insufficient protection. This is where we often see companies turn to using bubble wrap. Greenwrap is a more eco-friendly packaging solution that has similar abilities to bubble wrap and is great for individual product protection. Cuts are made in paper to form a protective hexagonal structure that provides force insulation allowing it to be a suitable alternative to bubble wrap.
A flexi-hex air sleeve adopts the same technology but as a sleeve, making it easy to slip on and off products. Corrugated bubble is a similar alternative that uses corrugated materials to form the protective wrap. These various bubble wrap alternatives provide reusable, recyclable and biodegradable solutions for protecting individual products during packaging.
Tissue Paper
For those looking for dust and scratch protection for their products, a great alternative to plastic packaging is tissue paper. Tissue paper are a protective packaging solution that can be used to wrap your products. As a protective layer, they ensure that your products do not get scuffed during transport. Additionally, custom tissue paper can help to add a unique touch of branding. With this accessory, the overall experience of unboxing with tissue paper can also make your product feel more luxurious. It is a great choice to protect your products whilst showing your brand’s exquisite attention to detail.
Closing Thoughts
With the emergence of paper and cardboard-based protective packaging, we can slowly move away from plastic packaging to support a more circular economy. With a quick swap to these packaging solutions, brands can make a huge difference and reduce their impact on the environment. By taking ownership of their environmental footprint, brands can improve their brand image and rapport with consumers.
In addition to these paper and cardboard-based solutions, we are also beginning to see new packaging technologies using natural materials such as mushrooms or seaweed. As technology continues to advance we can expect to see more packaging technology that allows for more secure and sustainable packaging that satisfies the needs of both consumers and the environment.