by Nextlife's Jeffrey Rosenholtz

The average consumer doesn’t think too much about the external packaging on a product. But, from a business perspective, the packaging is extremely important because that’s what tells the story about the item on the inside. Subliminally, when consumers purchase a product they are, many times, buying the images on the external package. Some consumers will tell you they purchased product “x” because it’s better than product “y”. Sometimes that’s true and sometimes it’s not. In the cases where it’s not, the consumer has likely bought into the brand marketing and messaging.

Now, environmentally-friendly packaging is one of those things that your business shouldn’t have to think about too long before implementation. Consumers today are taking a hard look at the products they buy and trying to figure out why that 1oz. bottle of perfume needs 10oz. of plastic, paper, and metal packaging surrounding the bottle. That small drop of perfume may last a couple of months but the long term effect on the environment from the packaging alone may be hundreds of years. It’s no surprise then that “sustainable packaging” should be on the mind of all businesses, especially those that are looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the market and to their consumers.

We would argue that today, sustainable packaging IS the story and consumers are desperately searching for products that are functional without leaving harmful, long lasting effects on the environment. There is some sustainable packaging that is slightly more difficult to create than others, like packaging that touches food or medicine. Those items must meet strict governmental regulations. However, there’s no reason why all external packaging shouldn’t be made out of post-consumer recycled materials or, at the very least, be bio-degradable.

There are really only a few steps needed to make product packaging truly environmentally friendly and sustainable. First, the amount of material used in order to make the package should be reduced as much as possible while still protecting the integrity of the product. Many companies overly inflate their packaging in order to gain as much shelf space out of the retailer as possible and catch the consumer’s eye. In addition to package size reduction, if the package is itself functional or reusable for a particular purpose (other than going to a landfill), that’s also a step in the right direction. And finally, once the package has been reduced and the package is functional, the recycling or bio-degradability of the package should be such that it is essentially possible to re-use the entire package (and hopefully the product) in a “nextlife” scenario.

By implementing these steps early on, businesses will be able to connect with consumers and increase market-share while, at the same time, reducing operational expenses. It’s just a matter of time before all product packaging becomes sustainable, but why wait until your business is forced into it. By getting the jump on this burgeoning industry you can take the lead with a competitive advantage that is good for consumers, good for the environment, and most importantly good for your business.