April 22, 2025 is Earth Day, and we typically observe the occasion with a blog post highlighting sustainability in packaging. This day is a reminder to prioritize and reinforce sustainable efforts. We regularly evaluate our processes and products to see where we can improve our commitment to sustainability, but as a long-standing industry leader and innovator in this space, we find that information can often be our best tool. Providing our customers with information is the number one goal of this blog, and we regularly take an eco-conscious approach to our messaging. We want our customers to use their packaging as a way to further promote sustainability to their customers, end users, social media followers and all others within their spheres of influence. Producing boxes with recycled board is a net positive, certainly. But generating important and impactful discussions about sustainability through packaging is of equal or greater importance.
What Does a “Please Recycle” Message Do?
We print millions of boxes every year, and we’re proud to say that a majority of them are printed with some form of a recycling prompt for the end user to see. This has a multi-fold effect. Yes, the end user is far more likely to actually recycle the packaging. This is of course an obvious but great benefit to including a recycle logo on the box. But it also alerts the end user that the company they have ordered their product from places a high importance on sustainability. This speaks to a term we like to use called “Eco-obvious.” You want your customers to know you are sustainably-focused. This sort of messaging may also prompt your end users to self-reflect on their own sustainable practices. A wake-up call, sort of speak. Are other products they are ordering also recyclable? If not, can they be? These are the types of questions and discussions that can arise from simple messaging.
The Effect of Smart Intentional Structural Design
Intentional design is another term we have been implementing a lot in our writing. It speaks to the care, time and precision that goes into our design efforts for each and every project. It’s not enough to design a box and internal components that work for a particular product. Our goal is to design the BEST box and internal components for that particular product or products. This means that the products are well protected to avoid unnecessary breakage or possible damage. It also means the products are well presented to your end users in a memorable unboxing moment. And perhaps most importantly, it means that we are eliminating waste in a number of areas. The right design eliminates void fill that likely is being thrown away, not recycled. It means reducing the amount of board/corrugated used in the manufacturing process. It also means your end users will love the packaging they receive. This increases the likelihood that they will reorder in the future, meaning the sustainable cycle can continue as they examine your packaging and compare it to the often wasteful and over-sized packaging they receive from other companies. Setting the bar and raising the level of expectations will again generate the internal dialogues. “Do I really want to order from a company with wasteful packaging?”
You can read more about intentional design here. As always, we are an email or phone call away and are happy to continue the discussion with you. Don’t let Earth Day pass without taking a moment to think about sustainability in your own packaging, and let us talk you through any questions you may have.
Please Contact Us Today
As always, if you have any questions, one of our branded packaging advisors is standing by to assist, with decades of experience behind them. Want to know more about custom packaging options? Please call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us via email at www.SalazarPackaging.com.
Related Posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/is-earth-day-still-a-big-deal/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/earth-day-message-sustainable-packaging-the-forgotten-r/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/e-commerce-packaging-sustainability-beyond-the-good-intentions/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/eco-obvious-ecommerce-packaging/
