Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, and they’re looking for brands that align with their sustainability goals. This means businesses can no longer afford to treat sustainable packaging as an afterthought. Below, we’re exploring how a circular packaging solution can help you appeal to eco-conscious consumers and how you can get started with sustainable packaging options.

What is Circular Packaging?

Circular packaging is focused on the reduction and extended use of virgin materials. The goal is to sustainably package more products consumers use every day. An example of circular packaging is corrugated options. Recycling rates for corrugated packaging are typically between 69% and 74% in the U.S. This nearly closed-loop system allows for old boxes to be recycled into new ones, which lowers your carbon footprint.

Why Brands Must Prioritize Circular Packaging

Consumer Expectations

Sustainability is more important than ever in the buyer’s journey. There’s a growing demand for transparent, responsible packaging choices. In fact, 90% of American consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand or retailer that uses eco-friendly packaging. And, 43% of American consumers are willing to pay extra for a product with sustainable packaging.

The risks of not using sustainable packaging are great. 39% of consumers have switched to competing brands because they offer more eco-friendly packaging alternatives.

Regulatory and Industry Pressure

Beyond consumer preferences, there’s also regulatory and industry pressure for businesses to switch to circular packaging. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) has now made its way into the packaging space. The goal of this initiative is to move responsibility for the end-of-life of packaging to the producer rather than the consumer. Your business will likely be affected by these changes. If you’re not already using sustainable packaging, you may have to in the near future. Learn more about this initiative here.

Environmental Benefits

Of course, an important aspect of switching to circular packaging is the reduced carbon footprint. Circular packaging is designed to be reused, recycled, or composted, rather than filling up landfills. Additionally, it’s less energy-intensive to use recycled materials rather than manufacturing virgin materials. This can result in significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. The overall result depends on your specific application; however, the shift generally offers a substantial environmental improvement.

How to Move Toward Circular Packaging

Evaluate Current Packaging

Switching to circular packaging starts with evaluating your current solutions. Are you using single-use plastics? Are you using oversized corrugated boxes and way too much void filler? A number of considerations go into determining if your packaging is sustainable. It can help to do a packaging audit with a trusted packaging partner. They’ll be able to take a look at your current products and suggest opportunities for improvement.

Design with End-of-Life in Mind

Circular packaging starts at the design stage. You can simplify material composition, prioritize recyclability and compostability, right-size your packaging, and consider reusability. A qualified packaging manufacturer can walk you through these steps.

Partner with the Right Suppliers

Getting the best circular packaging can come down to choosing the right partner. Since 1956, Jamestown Container has been helping businesses create high-quality, sustainable packaging. Companies trust us for corrugated boxes, retail packaging, stock boxes, and more packaging solutions. We also offer contract packaging and electronic vendor management to take stress out of the equation.

All of our locations receive sheets made with recycled linerboard from the Greenpac Mill, a state-of-the-art facility with one of the lowest amounts of paper mill landfill waste in the country. With this linerboard, we’re able to achieve maximum performance and strength without sacrificing sustainability.

Our team also ensures quality through every step of the process. We maintain a range of certifications, including ISO and FSSC accreditations, so our customers know they’re getting quality products.

When you partner with us, you get an experienced, helpful team there to support you through the entire process. From the initial idea to the final shipment, we’ve got you covered. We’re here to answer any questions you may have and help you optimize your packaging.

Let’s Get Started

Want to learn more about what we can do for you? Reach out to our team today to get started.