What is eco-friendly packaging, eco-friendly packaging classification

Packaging waste has been a chronic problem in the retail industry, especially in today's era of booming e-commerce. Piles of plastic and molded foam end up in landfills and remain there for a lifetime.

Today's global environmental problems are becoming more and more severe, and various countries are trying to find ways to slow down the problem of environmental pollution. Packaging waste, as a major contributor to environmental pollution, is naturally a pollution problem that cannot be ignored, and eco-friendly packaging is the best solution to slow down packaging waste.

This is why more and more brands and companies in the design of their product packaging will specifically require the use of environmentally friendly packaging design, so what packaging belongs to environmentally friendly packaging? Environmentally friendly packaging has what classification does it do? East Color, a packaging manufacturer, will share this article with you.

Classification of eco-friendly packaging

Sustainable packaging is divided into 3 main categories based on the function and specifications of the material.

Recyclable Packaging

Recyclable packaging is the most common type of sustainable packaging widely used in the retail industry.

Recyclable packaging includes, but is not limited to, paper-based materials, such as

• Corrugated cardboard

• Molded pulp

• Kraft paper folding cartons

Paper-based materials are recycled, soaked, shredded, cooked, filtered, cleaned, bleached, and transformed to create a new paper-based product that keeps the material intact and recycled.

While paper becomes less durable the more times it is recycled, the benefit of recyclable materials is that most, if not all, are biodegradable.

This means that it can be easily composted at the end of its life cycle, bringing the material full circle again without negatively impacting the environment.

Compostable packaging

While paper packaging can be composted, it cannot be used on a large scale because it relies on the infrastructure of composting and waste programs to bring the waste cycle full circle.

Materials designed for composting include

• Bioplastics

• Mushroom packaging

• Cornstarch packaging

While mushroom packaging is still in the early stages of development as a compostable packaging material, bioplastic and cornstarch packaging have gained market share as reliable compostable materials, especially in the food and restaurant industries.

The food and restaurant industry accounts for a large portion of packaging waste due to the reliance on plastic and polystyrene materials for durability and sanitation.

However, compostable packaging such as corn starch and bioplastic materials have been carefully designed to provide compliant durability and sanitary properties and ensure that the packaging decomposes in a short period.

Bioplastic and cornstarch packaging materials are marine degradable, which means that these materials will dissolve in water and serve as food for marine life.

Reusable packaging

Reusable packaging is exactly what it sounds like.

Packaging and products are made from extremely durable materials to ensure a longer life cycle and encourage reuse, thus contributing largely to the circular economy.

Reusable packaging is one of the most environmentally friendly solutions on the market. It eliminates the need for single-use plastic packaging, which has largely contributed to global packaging waste.

Popular types of packaging for reusable products include

• Packets

• Tin boxes

• Collapsible rigid boxes

Shipping products globally generates a significant amount of waste, and using reusable pellets, and shipping containers can also save money and thus significantly improve ROI.

Ultimately, reusable packaging will also be recyclable to ensure minimal impact at the end of a product's life cycle.

These are the main categories of eco-friendly packaging. Suppose you want to customize eco-friendly packaging for your products but are afraid of the quality of the custom eco-friendly packaging. Contact East Color. In that case, we will be able to provide you with satisfactory packaging customization services.