Packaging Waste: Understanding Your Environmental Impact
For ecommerce businesses striving to build a brand reputation worth having, sustainability and social responsibility should be core values rather than boxes to be ticked. Today’s consumers expect the brands they buy from to demonstrate an ethical and eco-friendly mindset - and by waging war on packaging waste, you can show your customer base you mean business.
Stay tuned for a breakdown of UK legislation around packaging production and waste, plus eco-friendly tips on how to streamline your company’s packaging use without compromising your brand image.
Understanding packaging waste regulations
Packaging producers with a turnover of more than £2 million a year, or who have handled 50 tonnes of packaging in the last calendar year, are classed by the UK government as ‘obligated packaging producers’.
Obligated packaging producers are required to follow government regulations each year, taking the following steps:
- Register as a producer with the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) (or join a compliance scheme) by 7th April that year.
- Meet your recycling obligation as a business.
- Generate evidence of your company’s compliance.
- Submit your certificate of compliance (CoC) by 31st January the next year. This will be taken care of on your behalf if you choose to join a compliance scheme rather than registering with the NPWD.
The aim of this new legislation is to increase packaging recycling levels, minimise packaging waste in landfill, and ultimately reduce the amount of packaging products manufactured in the UK.
For more information on packaging waste regulations and producer responsibility, visit the gov.uk website.
Top tips for reducing plastic packaging waste
Improving your business’s environmental footprint means taking a zero tolerance policy on waste, at least in mindset if this isn’t achievable in practice. You’ll be pleased to know there are numerous ways you can fine-tune your company packaging to make iterative improvements in the name of sustainability.
Plastic waste is the scourge of the environment as it doesn’t biodegrade, taking up to a millennium to break down and harming soil, groundwater and marine life in the process. And while eliminating plastic packaging likely isn’t a feasible solution, it’s essential to ensure that plastic products are properly recycled to minimise harmful waste - a duty that largely falls to the consumer.
However, there are various strategies businesses can implement to limit the amount of plastic packaging that makes it into customers’ homes, including:
- Consolidate packaging orders: an efficient packaging order process helps to minimise unnecessary waste while also streamlining your company’s operations. Placing a single bulk order for your packaging essentials will reduce the amount of packaging required to fulfil your order (and deliver welcome savings when you buy online with No1 Packaging)
- Say goodbye to single-use: disposable plastics are the primary contributor to the planet’s plastic waste problem - so, wherever you can trade single-use plastic packaging solutions for recyclable alternatives, this will go some way towards improving your business’s eco footprint. In the UK, there are bans and restrictions now in effect on single-use plastics which prohibit the sale of certain products, but you can go the extra mile by steering clear of single-use packaging materials wherever possible
- Make use of recycled materials: as well as avoiding single-use plastics, you can go one step further and make use of packaging products manufactured from recycled (and recyclable) materials. With options including recycled kraft wrapping paper and recyclable kraft paper tape, making the move to sustainable packaging solutions won’t mean compromising on strength, quality or affordability
- Streamline primary, secondary and tertiary packaging: wherever possible, take a minimalist approach to product packaging - from the primary packaging that encases the individual product to the outer secondary packaging and the tertiary packaging used in storage and transit, there are possibilities galore when it comes to removing unnecessary packaging elements and substituting single-use materials for eco-friendly alternatives
Give your ecommerce business’s packaging a planet-friendly overhaul by making the switch from single-use to sustainable now. Start by shopping the No1 Packaging range today - and don’t forget to buy in bulk to streamline your ordering process for less packaging waste along with great-value online savings.
