Smart Logistics | 6 reasons why sustainable packaging is a global trend

Why choose a more environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging method? We can easily list many reasons to explain, but I think six of them are the most fundamental reasons, which can directly prove that a sustainable way of doing business is crucial to our future, and at the same time, it is also important to economic development. Potentially huge boost. These factors include natural environment factors, consumer and political factors, as well as economic and business factors, which provide strong momentum for the development of sustainable materials.

01 Our planet needs sustainable packaging solutions

Globally, 42% of plastics are used in packaging, and most of them are used for single-use purposes only, so the problems that plastic pollution creates in the ecosystem are long-term and persistent.

The recycling rate of plastic is only 10%, which means that 90% of the plastic is incinerated, landfilled or directly discarded into the natural environment.

Plastics typically take 20 to 400 years, or more, to decompose.
Decomposed plastic creates debris, or microplastics, that remain in the atmospheric circulation, in everything we do, from water to food and soil.

Packaging with sustainable materials can break this negative cycle.

02 More and more countries and regions implement laws to reduce plastic packaging

In 2021, Australia announced the National Plastics Plan, which aims to ban single-use plastics by 2025. In addition to Australia, a growing number of countries and cities around the world are taking action to ban single-use plastics.

In the EU, the 2019 Single-Use Plastics Directive aims to combat the 10 most common single-use plastic items found on European beaches, which account for 70% of all marine litter in the EU.

In the United States, states such as California, Hawaii and New York have begun legislation to ban single-use plastic items such as plastic bags, forks and food containers.

In Asia, countries such as Indonesia and Thailand have led calls for measures to ban single-use plastics.

03 Consumers prefer sustainable packaging materials

Data shows that e-commerce customers in the US, UK, France and Germany are all willing to work with companies that use sustainable packaging. In fact, more than 70% of consumers in all these countries have this preference, while more than 80% of consumers in the UK and France prefer sustainable packaging. Consumers' love for sustainable packaging makes them more willing to see paper packaging than plastic to protect their purchases.

Not only do consumers love seeing paper packaging inside the box, a 2013 study found that out of 12 materials, paper was the most popular, ranking five ahead of plastic and even ahead of velvet.

04 Sustainable packaging provides good protection

There are many articles and materials claiming that plastics are better protected than other types of materials in packaging and transportation, which is obviously untenable. Because, before plastics were widely commercialized, sustainable materials were used as packaging materials for thousands of years.

Although plastic was invented in 1869, it didn't start to become ubiquitous until the advent of World War II, a period in which plastic production increased by 300%.

Paper is one of the world's most recognized sustainable materials and can be used for almost every application of packaging in a box, even cold chain packaging.

In many applications, paper provides better protection than plastic, sometimes as much as 58%.

05 E-commerce is growing rapidly around the world

The study found that in three of four countries, the UK, Germany, France and the US, more than half of consumers plan to buy more online. The growing popularity of food, catering and food delivery services in these markets also provides strong support for the development of e-commerce.

Sustainable packaging will be required by the growing global e-commerce activity.

06 Companies should improve the sustainability of their business models

Environment, Society and Governance, collectively referred to as ESG strategy, are listed as key parts of many companies’ development as consumers and investors become more eco-conscious. By improving a business's resource efficiency, businesses can improve their scores and potentially gain more business value, including increased brand reputation, customer and employee loyalty, and access to capital. ESG investing is growing in popularity. In the U.S. alone, about a quarter of assets under management are ESG-rated investments — a total of about $12 trillion.

Based on global change factors, the increasing need for environmental protection actions, the rapidly growing e-commerce business demand for sustainable packaging, and the need for companies to achieve a win-win situation between economic profits and sustainable development goals, it is safe to say that in the near future, development More green, recyclable and sustainable packaging materials will be the general trend in the development of the packaging industry.