Did you hear? Consumers are now pushing back against overpackaging. Recent studies show that consumers value sustainability and the environment and are keeping them in mind when purchasing, even amidst a pandemic.
Overpackaging is considered to be any packaging that is seen as excessive and does not fulfill a condition or function that is deemed as necessary. An example of this is a package that is double, or even triple, the size of the product inside.
Despite the concerns facing consumers during these uncertain times, almost a quarter — 23 percent — are likelier to buy items online if they know that they’re being delivered in more sustainable packaging, and 21 percent are more likely to buy online if their products arrive in recyclable packaging, per Boardconvertingnews.com.
New research reveals that 93 percent of consumers reported that they have received packages with what constitutes as wasted space, and nearly three-fourths (73 percent) have received packages that were at least twice the size of what was needed. 54 percent of consumers reported that they would rethink their decision to order again from a company that had excessive space in their packaging.
But why are consumers so concerned with overpackaging? Let’s dive into the negatives of overpackaging.
The Negatives Associated With Overpackaging
For a while now, it has been known that overpackaging has a tremendously negative effect on the environment. The different problems that packaging creates for the environment include the reduction of valuable resources, impacts on animal and plant species, and the amount of raw materials and energy consumed for the production and recycling of excessive packaging.
Overpackaging also generates an economic cost that gets passed on to the consumer and then ultimately to waste treatment entities. For businesses, the inefficient use of resources means more money wasted. Adding layers and layers of protective materials without acknowledging their impact when it comes to transportation costs, conservation needs, or type of use or consumption expected isn’t very profitable, yet there are many businesses that continue to do so.
Polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, PVC or PET, are some of the most commonly used packaging materials. According to Greenpeace (2018), it’s estimated that only 9% of plastics are recycled, 12% are incinerated, and 79% end up either in landfills or in the environment, with more than 12 million tons per year being dumped into the oceans.
Now, don’t get it wrong, protective materials such as the ones listed above are extremely important and beneficial to your overall packaging solution, but the key is to incorporate them in a more efficient manner. If you can minimize the size of your package, you’re less likely to need as much protective material. You can learn more about different packaging materials in our blog The Best Packaging Materials for Shipping Your Products.
In order to limit the drastic effects that overpackaging is making on the environment, it’s important that we emphasize recycling and the reuse of these products. Learn how to properly recycle and reuse corrugated materials in our blog Sustainable Corrugated Packaging: How to Reuse and Recycle Properly.
Implement a Custom Packaging Solution
So how can you avoid overpackaging? It’s simple, really. Make the decision to implement a custom packaging solution for your products. With a custom packaging solution, you won’t need to worry about excessive left-over material that harms the environment, costs you money, and leaves your customers unsatisfied. Custom packaging is uniquely designed to fit your product and your product only, meaning that the look and feel of your product informs the design process.
Additional Benefits of Custom Packaging
Not only does implementing custom packaging help you avoid the problem of overpackaging, but it also has plenty of other benefits that we’ll dive into below.
Customer Satisfaction
By implementing a custom packaging solution, you can ensure that your customers are not only satisfied with your product, but with your packaging as well. By providing them with a pleasant unboxing experience, you can leave a lasting impression that will have them ordering from you again. If you want to learn more about how to improve customer satisfaction, check out our blog How Are You Improving the Unboxing Experience?
Product Safety/Protection
Ensuring the arrival of your product to your customer’s doorstep in the same condition it left your warehouse is important if you want to run a successful business. With a custom packaging solution, you can be sure that it will. With a design built around your product, there is no extra room in the packaging for your product to toss and turn and potentially break. A custom packaging solution relieves you of the headache associated with worrying about your product’s safety.
Cost-Efficiency
Because corrugated fiberboard is sustainably manufactured from trees and old recovered corrugated containers, it is very cost-efficient to produce. It also has an industry recovery rate hovering around 90% over the last eight years, 96% in 2018.
PrintCosmo Design Capabilities
So what does this mean for you and your business? It’s time to implement a custom packaging solution for your products.
At PrintCosmo Container Companies, we create custom packaging boxes that are tailored to your specific business needs. The days of looking at your packaging as just a plain box are over. Start imagining how you can better enhance your product while simultaneously cutting down on overpackaging. With our design capabilities, we can make sure that you’re able to do just that.
Specializing in custom product packaging, our design team will help you maximize your product’s performance during handling, storage, and even shipping. By helping design a solution around your specific needs, we’ll be able to help you navigate the current challenges you’re facing.
Our in-house design teams are industry-recognized and capable of creating the perfect solution for your problem. And if you want to know what a design looks like in real life, we can make it happen. We’re able to create prototypes so you can test the product-to-box fit before placing a full order.
At PrintCosmo Container Companies, we work hard to create custom product packaging that is cost-efficient, reliable, and environmentally sustainable. Read more about our custom product packaging here.
Work With the Packaging Experts
At PrintCosmo Container, we’ve been helping companies make their packaging processes more effective and efficient. From unique packaging designs to our own VMI solution that automates packaging for companies in all industries, our experienced and talented team will partner with you to solve virtually any packaging challenges you might have. Contact us today to learn more.