It’s time to think about biodegradable labels for your products. With growing pressure from customers, wholesalers and supply chains, it would be foolish for any business to ignore the need to offer sustainable or eco-friendly product and labelling options in the future. Last year, businesses, stakeholders and consumers were doing a lot of talking about sustainability. This year, it’s all about action and it’s becoming a global movement.
The desire for sustainability is a generational thing too. Millennial clients prefer to do business with corporations and brands with social messages, sustainable manufacturing methods, and ethical business standards. Therefore, sustainability doesn’t just mean eco-friendly products – it’s the ethos of businesses or the core of why they exist.
Big business has taken note. For example, several multinational companies that represent more than 6 million tonnes of plastic packaging per year have recently committed to using 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 or earlier. Some of these companies include Mars, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever. Ultimately, it will be sustainability that will define competitive advantage. If you’re a brand that wants to achieve a successful sustainability program, it’s important to ensure that you implement sustainable practices, technology, and culture in every step of your supply chain.
Technically, most packaging can be recycled; however, it does come down to whether or not there is a suitable market for the materials to be on-sold to when the product is finally used. Whilst many of these materials can be sold and recycled, one of the most complex parts of packaging is the fact that most are made up of multiple materials, which determines how easy it can be broken down. It also comes down to the type of packaging that businesses are using. Flexible packaging, for example, uses fewer resources and less energy than other forms of packaging. This is because it reduces packaging, material and transport costs and can also be constructed on the spot from roll materials at the filling location, further minimising transportation of ready-formed empty packaging.
If you’re going to go green with your packaging, you must follow suit with your labels so that the label doesn’t interfere with the biodegradability. Contact us to learn more about recyclable labels and going green.
