Plain brown boxes. Dreary, uniform earth tones. If this is what comes to mind when you think of eco-packaging, it might be time to think again.
For the longest time, brands and businesses savvy enough to adopt sustainable values in their production and packaging have been forced to settle for unbranded, unbeautiful drab designs in the name of reducing environmental impact. But thanks to a global shift in focus and billions of dollars invested in innovating the sustainable production and packaging industries, a glorious new wave of bold, beautiful, out-of-the-box eco-options are taking centre stage.
Here in Australia, a systematic campaign is underway in every state and territory to eliminate the use of single-use plastics and polystyrene, with bans enforced on problematic products from cutlery to cotton buds. Driven by new legislation and growing consumer demand for more ethical, environmentally conscious products and packaging, big brands and small are being forced to seriously rethink their environmental footprint. It’s not just the ‘utilitarian’ brands who are jumping on the sustainable packaging juggernaut, with style-centric lifestyle brands from Gucci to Zara making specific and transparent commitments to reducing landfill and lowering their environmental impact in the immediate future.
And the best part (especially for smaller, more crafted brands who don’t have billion-dollar budgets)? Making the switch to eco-friendly packaging is no longer just good for the planet – it’s good for your hip pocket. Put simply, as demand for sustainable non-plastic packaging increases, so too does its availability and, in turn, its affordability. Choosing sustainable packaging products and practices is not only proven to boost sales and inspire desire in leagues of loyal, Earth-loving brand advocates, it can also lower the cost of doing business in the long term.
From a design perspective, the increasing demand for sustainable packaging and consequent substantial investment in its evolution has inspired the innovation of some truly brilliant and beautiful environmental packaging solutions. As a design branding studio with a focus on FMCG, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be in packaging design, with fresh ideas and inspired alternatives to traditional, destined-for-landfill product packaging emerging on an almost weekly basis.
Some of our favourites include:
- Flexible Packaging – Pouches, bags and other malleable containers made from foil, paper or recyclable plastics. They’re versatile space-and-weight minimisers that are easy to customise and ship.
- Refillable/Reusable Vessels – Buy once, buy beautiful. Then refill these long-lasting shelf-ponies with more simply, sustainably packaged products.
- Stone or Bamboo Paper – Biodegradable and ideal for FMCG packaging as they’re both durable and heat resistant.
- Compostable Packaging – Not only does this require less carbon to produce, but it also reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and helps feed the Earth with beneficial nutrients.
- UV and Vegetable Based Inks – Vegetable Inks are an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based inks, as they are a renewable resource. UV Inks dry instantly under UV light, releasing 99.5 per cent fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The ready availability of these high-quality, design-friendly materials has opened up a wealth of new opportunities for creating environmentally responsible, high-impact packaging – particularly in the FMCG space. It’s no longer necessary to sacrifice creativity and design at the altar of sustainability; with the right teams and tools in place, today’s brands can have it all.
Want to work with us? We love brands that love the planet. Click here to learn more about how Brandwell can help get you started on your journey to a beautiful brand.
