1. Design packaging from the perspective of life cycle
There are many life cycle assessment tools available to help packaging designers understand the impact of different packaging on the environment. For example, the U.S. Sustainable Packaging Alliance's online design software can help users make more informed material choices and more accurate design decisions through an intuitive environmental indicator; and EarthShift's smart packaging life cycle assessment software ( PackageSmartLCA) also allows packaging designers to assess the environmental impact of their work.
2. Minimize the use of packaging materials
To evaluate every component in the package, can we minimize the use of packaging materials without affecting the integrity of the product? Take LIV Organic, a leading manufacturer of all-natural sports drinks, as an example. The traditional PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a resin) beverage bottle, and now they use Amcor's technology, so that the weight of a 16.9-oz. beverage bottle from From 36.8 grams to 31.4 grams, the weight loss ratio reached 14.6%.
3, choose a new alternative packaging for product delivery
New machinery and new materials enable packers to produce multipacks, trays, or shelves with less material to minimize waste.
4, find the opportunity for packaging reuse
In Costa Rica, Pizza Hut’s customers are recommended to use a brand new pizza box that can be split into cardboard and a small box that holds packaged food. In 2010, KFC also introduced reusable lunch boxes and received the Green Packaging Award of the year. The lunch box is a transparent bowl with a lid labeled "reusable" and can be used in microwave ovens and dishwashers. What's more, it uses a patented, non-porous, breathable technology that allows moisture to see through without opening the hole to achieve freshness. In addition, this lunch box is made of 100% polypropylene, which is the first choice for food storage in the food and beverage industry.
5, improve your product
The most successful transformation in sustainable packaging is home cleaning products. Starting from detergents and other cleaning agents and chemicals, household cleaning companies have adopted a concentrated formula to reduce the consumption of water in the product life cycle. In addition, they also reduce the environmental impact of packaging products through small packaging and supplemental packaging.
6, try to use recyclable packaging design
In the production of packaging materials, the most effective way to save energy is recycling. Although many materials, such as paper and PET, have achieved large-scale recycling, coatings, labels, and other elements that enhance packaging capabilities are hard to find a suitable recycling route. Fortunately, we already have new options.
7. Adopt a packaging strategy that encourages consumption
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the United States produces about 34 million tons of food waste each year, so food packaging that can promote consumption is often more likely to make a breakthrough in sustainability. The technologies that can be used today to reduce food waste are mainly recloseable packaging, packaging that can clearly indicate the date of use, and other technologies that help separate the product from its packaging. For example, Helmann is a convenient package designed for mayonnaise, which adds a coating of non-stick material inside the container, allowing consumers to easily remove the last bit of mayonnaise that remains in the bottle.
8, understand the source of packaging materials
More and more retailers and consumers are now paying more attention to sustainable packaging, so be sure to use environmentally responsible packaging materials. For example, the toy manufacturer Mattel had been severely criticized by Greenpeace, because the company used cardboard packaging containing a lot of wood fiber from the rainforests of Indonesia. To this end, Mattel has introduced new sustainable procurement principles to regulate the company's procurement of paper and wood fibers. Hasbro also quickly followed this approach.
9, find space-saving opportunities from the distribution process
At the second Packaging Summit Forum at Michigan State University, Kevin Howard, an industry expert, once again emphasized the importance of packaging design to saving logistics and distribution costs. He said: "You have to know what changes have taken place in your surroundings. Some of them cannot be packaged by the International Security Transport Organization (ISTM) standard but are unblocked in practice."
10. Consider raw materials made from renewable materials
Packaging based on renewable raw materials - from bioplastics made from corn or sugar cane to protective packaging made of mushrooms, has now become one of the fastest growing areas. However, compared with traditional materials, these new technologies still face certain problems in actual production.