Sustainability is no longer the future for packaging. It's officially the present state and the foreseeable future in package design and corporate responsibility. Sustainable packaging is not only a better option for the environment, but a great investment; especially for brands that are actively pursuing a positive image in the eyes of the consumer. The main impediment to its speed to growth in the packaging market has been the higher cost that comes along with it, but that's changing. Deciding how to design for sustainability may seem difficult and costly, but it is a worthwhile endeavor that will not only become mandatory in the next decade, but also provide major benefits to brands that adopt it in some form, sooner rather than later.

Back in February, the packaging world collectively turned its head towards the announcement of LOOP, a revolutionary and potentially disruptive paradigm shift in the way major brands provide high-quality packaging while simultaneously putting recycling and waste reduction front and center. What is LOOP exactly? Loop is essentially a new approach to the by-gone days of the milkman’s business model. From LOOP’s website: “Loop is a circular shopping platform that transforms the packaging of your everyday essentials from single-use disposable to durable, feature-packed designs. Not so long ago, the milkman delivered reusable bottles and later picked them up to be refilled. Loop is the milkman reimagined - honoring our past from a modern perspective.” In place of the milkman, you will find your local UPS delivery driver dropping off products from various companies (including but not limited to Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Mars Petcare, etc.) and then returning to pick up your used packaging and sending it back to LOOP where it will be cleaned, refilled and resold once again.

You may wonder why a packaging company would write an article about "Zero Waste Packaging." I mean, that seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? I am sure you are thinking something along the lines of, "if zero-waste packaging were to be fully adopted by corporations and the public alike, wouldn't you go out of business?" While we genuinely appreciate your concern for our well-being, don't worry. While zero-waste packaging could, in theory, pose such a threat, full adoption on a national, let alone a global level, is many years in the future, if at all. Still, zero-waste packaging is an essential topic for us to discuss, as there are both pros and cons to current zero-waste packaging materials, programs, and associated elements. In this article, we will explain what zero-waste packaging is, how it works, and many other topics surrounding the idea of zero-waste packaging. After reading this article, you will have a solid basic understanding of zero-waste packaging and its role in product packaging today and in the future.

Minimizing excess stretch film usage is important for reducing waste, saving money, and keeping your operation as efficient as possible. While stretch film is an invaluable product, the less you use while properly securing your loads, the better for your bottom line. Load containment is one of the most important factors in this process. The term refers to the different forces that work in unison to hold your pallets together. Proper load containment secures your product so it can travel and arrive intact. Here’s everything you need to know about making load containment your secret weapon:

Here’s a startling fact: Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year's than any other time of year, accumulating an extra 25 million tons of garbage. Just think about the damage that amount of waste can do to our environment. At Industrial Packaging, we continuously strive to educate folks about simple ways to be more conscious of (and committed to) sustainability. That’s why we’re sharing these fun, innovative and useful ways to reuse the packaging you have leftover from the holidays, as well as some creative ideas for companies that package products for consumers.

There’s no escaping the images and videos depicting plastic bottles and waste floating along nature’s waterways and oceans, nor the devastating predictions about pollution’s increasing impact on the demise of our environment. As inhabitants of this great planet, we play a monumental role in effecting positive environmental change. We have a responsibility to ourselves (and humanity at large) to adopt effective ways of reducing waste and caring for Mother Earth. So, too, do the companies and large corporations developing, manufacturing, packaging and transporting the goods and materials that leave an ecological footprint.