If you sell a food product as a vendor or supermarket supplier, your packaging is essential. It allows you to market your product in a way that stands out to your customers, drawing them away from your competitors to purchase your product. You can use strong branding techniques to spread the word about your business, but have you ever thought about the materials you should choose to make your packaging? As times change, more businesses are switching to sustainable materials like cardboard takeaway cups, paper disposable food trays and plant-based cutlery so they can reduce the impact their products are having on the planet. We’ll take a look at why choosing a sustainable material is so important and how to make a change.
The impact of food packaging on the environment
When food is eaten on the go, it has more chance of being disposed of incorrectly. If you offer plastic materials in your food containers, this can have a detrimental impact on the environment and the animals that live there. Plastic does not degrade back into the earth – it omits harmful chemicals when it’s made and when it’s disposed of, so reducing your use means reducing your contribution to emissions, and global warming, and allows you to take a step towards becoming more sustainable. So, how can you make a change?…
Switch to paper or cardboard
Making the switch to paper and cardboard packaging is more environmentally friendly. Using these materials for food packaging comes with a huge range of benefits, one of the most notable being that it’s versatile. Whether you need paper cups, a paper disposable food tray, or food boxes, there is a paper or cardboard alternative to suit you. These products are biodegradable, meaning that if they’re not disposed of correctly, instead of harming the environment and posing a danger to animals and food chains, they simply decompose back into their natural surroundings.
You can also print onto these natural materials, so you don’t have to worry about compromising your branding to be more environmentally friendly. When changing to paper or cardboard packaging, your customers are more likely to be impressed by this decision, meaning you can attract a like-minded demographic.
Provide reusable bags
When you think about food packaging, you often think of takeaways, and another element that your business will have to provide your customers is a way of carrying their food home. Many of us will be familiar with the flimsy, white, plastic bags that we’ll have carried our food in, but there are more sustainable ways in which your can help your customers carry their food without using these plastic bags which are often discarded. Choosing paper bags is advantageous, they are strong, and as we mentioned previously, can be branded. They are biodegradable so better for the planet, and you can buy them in a variety of sizes to suit your customer.
Choose biodegradable materials
We’ve looked at paper and cardboard, but what other packaging materials can you use to make your business more sustainable? Water-soluble plastic is becoming more popular, as it can be created without the toxic metals that come with traditional plastic and can be dissolved in boiling water. It has less of an impact on the environment as a result. Metal straws are becoming more popular to use in drinks rather than plastic alternatives; you could sell these alongside your product to boost profits and give your customers a more sustainable alternative to the norm. If you offer food on the go, biodegradable cutlery, made from wood and other plant-based materials can be beneficial. Knowing where to start means you can make a change to benefit your company, your customers, and the planet.
