How Cosmetic Brands can Reduce Packaging Waste?

In 2019, packaging waste has become a huge societal issue. Thanks to environmentally conscious consumers, brands have to take serious measures to reduce packaging waste. As a result, reusable packaging materials are now swiftly taking over single-use solutions. 

According to an estimate, more than 10,000 tons of waste was accumulated from online orders in Ireland alone. Buyers are taking note of this peak, with 61 percent of online shoppers considering how eco-friendly packaging a brand uses before placing an order. 

Packaging

The cosmetic industry isn’t an exception. In fact, the industry is mulling over its options on how they can reinvent their packaging to reduce waste. The good news is there are some really easy ways that’ll not only help cosmetic brands and manufacturers to reduce their packaging waste but also decrease their shipping cost.       

1. Think in Traditional Fashion 

Let’s say you are considering optimizing the size of your custom cosmetic boxes, but there is a hitch — should you crank your cosmetic boxes up a notch through branding or not? Over 40 percent of online buyers admitted they are more likely to recommend products to friends that are wrapped in branded packaging. This clearly suggests you should consider using custom branded boxes to ship your products. 

The benefits of bespoke boxes are bifold. To begin with, it enables cosmetic brands to encourage shoppers to share their purchases on social media and produce genuine content by using unique hashtags. Beyond this, bespoke packaging increases the chances of being reused for another purpose, which gives it a second life. 

If you managed to master this art, you’ll be able to rule the Instagram world. Take Glossier for instance. None of the shipping materials have made such an impact in the past few years than the pink bubble pouches of the beauty giant. The reusable bags of the brand have even seen a slew of articles over the internet on how to reuse them as pencil cases, toiletry kits, waterproof bags and so on.    

2. Use Biodegradable & Recyclable Materials 

It is necessary to state that you should always prefer to use recyclable packaging materials (cardboard, paper, biodegradable plastic, corn starch, and bubble wrap) that were possible than non-recyclable counterparts. Rather it would be much better to use 100 percent recyclable materials when shipping your beauty or personal care products.  

Of course, materials like polystyrene can technically be recycled but it cannot be done locally, so it’s more likely to end up in a landfill or accidentally gets tossed in a recycle bin, where it could actually slow down the recycling process by causing harm to the machines that sort materials. The study suggests that 71 percent of shoppers are more likely to purchase from brands that encase their products in cardboard or paper than other materials, so it’s critical to choose your shipping materials judiciously.   

Not only green packaging is good for the environment, but it also improves the overall customer experience. Cosmetic brands can take a cue from the leading shoe brand, Puma that has cleverly replaced its traditional shoebox with little bags back in 2010. The non-woven bag that has saved 8500 tons of paper, 65 percent of cardboard material and one million liters of water to date keeps the shoes in one place with a single piece of cardboard.

3. One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Over a third of merchants confessed they use boxes that are double the size of the items. Not only this means unnecessary emission, but it also increases the cost of custom cosmetic packaging. And when it comes to shipping goods every inch counts just as every kilogram, because shipping costs are based on weight and dimensions. This means weight alone isn’t a dominant factor in determining shipping costs. You also need to consider how much room your packaging boxes will take up in a delivery truck.     

Unfortunately, not every merchant has the resources to integrate package design technology that can give them the perfect fit, but they can certainly hire a top packaging company like the Packaging Republic to ensure they get the best cosmetic boxes wholesale supply in the ideal size. 

In a few words, there is no such thing as one-size fit all in the retail world. So if you are dispatching a small item to a customer like a wallet it doesn’t necessarily have to be encased in a double wall box. But, you can absolutely use a double wall box or encasing with extra cushioning to protect a fragile product during transit because it requires extra protection. Dell, for example, has developed a special bamboo cushioning about a decade ago as an alternative to plastic foam following numerous complaints from its customers regarding shipping boxes. 

So just like paper recyclable cushioning material can play a vital role in reducing your cosmetic box size by 10 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent.