Nowadays, we are all much more aware of our carbon footprint and environmental impact. As businesses, we are keen to keep any damage to the environment to a strict minimum, leading many owners to ask: how can I make my business eco friendly? We find out…
Reduce plastic consumption
One of the biggest ways a business can reduce its impact on the environment is to reduce the amount of plastic used in day to day running and in its products and packaging. At the moment, the zeitgeist of ‘going green’ is everywhere – and rightly so. We are at a critical point in our planet’s development and the choices we make now could have a huge impact on future generations.
Reducing plastic is one of the best ways to make your business eco friendly. That’s because a lot of plastic is not yet recyclable. Many types of plastic aren’t currently recycled, either because they can’t be, or because it would be too expensive and inconvenient to do so. These plastics sit in landfills, biodegrading incredibly slowly through UV exposure, or not at all if they’re buried in a dump and never see the light of day!
So how can I make my business eco friendly through reducing plastic consumption?
- Eliminate single use plastic bags and replace them with reusable hemp or fabric bags
- Ensure any plastic you are using in the day to day running of your business is fully recyclable and recycle it properly
- Choose plastic free packaging options wherever possible. Pillow boxes are a fantastic alternative to plastic bags for small cosmetic items, jewellery, sweets etc. Made from paper stocks, these can be recycled and eliminate the need for plastic packaging. Plus – you can even opt for recycled paper pillow boxes (already recycled and recyclable again!) or kraft paper (recycled, recyclable and unbleached, meaning it uses less energy to create)!
Reuse and recycle
Before throwing anything away first stop and ask yourself – how can I make my business eco friendly through reusing and recycling? Try to eliminate single use products, especially those made from plastic.
Jump on the upcycling trend and create something new out of your old product. For example, here at Printed Pillow Packs, we’ve heard of some fantastic uses for recycling and upcycling pillow boxes including:
- Print your pillow boxes without a logo or with a removable logo sticker, so they can be used to wrap gifts in the future
- Print your pillow boxes with an internal design, so they can be flipped inside out to provide a gift wrapping option or a display box
- Flatten your pillow boxes out and create ‘patchwork’ wall displays
- Use your pillow box as a portable cosmetics or jewellery case
Minimize carbon footprint
Another way you can make your business eco friendly is to reduce your carbon footprint (ie the amount of carbon dioxide your business is responsible for pumping into the atmosphere). You can do this by:
- Choosing carbon neutral delivery driving services and couriers. We often use DPD who are committed to off-setting their carbon footprint (read all about it here).
- Allowing staff (where possible) to sometimes work from home, reducing the carbon footprint they make to travel to work, and as such, your overall contribution.
- Employing cyclist couriers for local deliveries
- Off set your carbon footprint by planting trees, and ensure your paper suppliers are FSC approved (don’t worry all our suppliers are!)
If you decide to go for plastic-free packaging, pillow boxes could be your solution! Should you need help with your eco-friendly pillow box options, simply get in touch with a member of our team today!