Sustainable Packaging – 5 Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Shipping Parcels

Are you looking for sustainable filling material for parcels and want to know how you can make your parcel shipping more environmentally friendly? Then you've come to the right place!

You've probably been there: you order something small online, but it arrives in a huge box and wrapped in mountains of plastic film. A nuisance - especially if you Sustainability is close to our hearts. Fortunately, it is also possible to send items and parcels in a more environmentally friendly way.

In this article, I will introduce you to ecological alternatives for padding shipping boxes that e-commerce companies and private consumers can use. You'll find out why this is important, which filling materials are suitable and where you can get them from. I will also provide you with valuable information on cost and innovation aspects. Let's go!

Here you can find a short overview in advance:

1. Without filler?
2. Motifs
3. Filling materials
4. Costs
5. Innovation
6. FAQ
7. Closing words

Notice: The content of the article is only apparently aimed at commercial providers! Of course, you can use the tips and ideas just as well for private parcel shipping.

The role of cushioning material in the mail order business

Can't you simply dispense with padding and filling materials altogether when shipping? No. Unfortunately, you can't do without upholstery material.

Fragile goods must be during transport from shocks and scratches protected should be avoided. Pointed objects or objects with hard edges should be prevented from piercing cardboard boxes.

Heavy products that are damaged during shipping Vibrations exposed could wear out due to constant friction if they are not padded.

And what can you generally take as a filler? Here is a small overview of the most commonly used materials:

• Foam foil
• Air cushion / bubble wrap
• Packing chips
• Styrofoam panels
• Bubble cushion
• Wool
• Cardboard and paper
• All purpose blankets
• …

Of course, I don't want to question the fact that a safe packaging material also includes a filling. Most goods require a filling material in which they are wrapped or wrapped - or by which they are padded. Cavities should be avoidedThe products sent by mail must arrive safely at the recipient's doorstep.

However, sustainable cushioning material for parcels fulfills the purpose just as wellas the conventionally used fillers made of plastic or polystyrene - and also protects the environment.

Good to know: Filling and cushioning in the mail order business are not the same thing, by the way. When a package is filled, the main aim is to close cavities and prevent the goods from sliding around in the carton. When cushioning, the focus is on wrapping the product.

The impact of non-sustainable upholstery and filling materials

Why is switching to sustainable filling material for parcels and shipping boxes actually so important? The Federal Environmental Agency has announced that around 19.7 million tons of packaging waste in Germany in 2021 were generated. Although this figure also includes packaging from disposable products such as drinks cups, the mail order business also accounts for a high proportion of waste. And that is precisely what is problematic.

Where exactly is the problem with packaging waste?

Every year between 5 and 12 million tons Plastic waste in the oceans. There, they are eaten by animals that die from them. Anyone who eats marine animals is also very likely to ingest the microplastics through their food. Exactly what consequences this has has not been researched - But we can assume that it cannot be good for us humans.

Styrofoam, which is often used as a cushioning material, is no better. Like plastic it is Non-biodegradable and is therefore piling up into ever larger mountains of waste. As soon as polystyrene becomes contaminated - i.e. when it is used as cups or tableware, but also when it is used in the mail order business - it can no longer be recycled. In addition The basic building block of Styropor, styrene, is suspected of being carcinogenic. to be.

For these and other reasons, every Reducing or even avoiding plastic and polystyrene waste is important - and can contribute to this by Ecological alternatives for plastic use. You can now find out what these are for upholstery and filling material in particular.

Tip: Many returns of online orders are unnecessary - this is another way to save packaging material! How exactly you as a seller or private consumer can Avoid returnsyou can read in the linked article.

You can replace conventional filling materials with these eco-friendly alternatives

There is a sustainable alternative for every environmentally harmful product - this also applies to filling and padding material. But what ecological alternatives are there to protect shipping goods?

I present you here five substitute products, which due to their special properties are excellent as a filling material and alternative for conventional Bubble wrap, bubble cushion, styrofoam, packing chips, stretch film or PE Foam film suitable.

1. packing chips from corn

If you want to protect your goods during shipping these packaging chips made from corn* a good, ecological substitute that protects both the contents of the carton and the environment. The chips are produced exclusively from corn starch and water and are therefore fully compostable.

Of course, you do not have to compromise on quality: The packaging chips have the typical 8 or S shape, which makes them interlock with each other and form a stable cushion.

Due to their low weight protect your wallet in an environmentally friendly waybecause there are usually no higher postage costs.

They also have the same properties as polystyrene alternatives - they are Dimensionally stable, flexible, impact-resistant, antistatic, odorless, dust-free and reusable.

The recipient or the recipient can then simply Dispose of them in the compost or organic waste garbage can, if he or she does not even want to continue using them. You see, cornstarch packaging chips have no disadvantage for you and allow sustainable shipping!

You can buy packaging chips made from corn order here*.

2. wood wool

For cushioning fragile objects, I can also recommend this wood wool* recommend. It will from debarked, dried trees manufactured and can be easily composted after use. The thin chips are particularly Flexible, yet resistant enough to safely protect shipping goods.

In addition, wood wool is often used as decorative upholstery material used: An expensive wine bottle or a noble piece of jewelry, embedded in wood wool, that looks elegant and stylish - and visually enhances the product.

You can use wood wool as packaging material. order here*.

3. hemp fleece

An interesting alternative, especially for shipments where temperature plays a role, is a such hemp fleece*. The useful plant hemp has similar heat conduction properties to polystyrene, which is often used for thermal insulation. It Keeps cold goods cool (in combination with dry ice even at -18° Celsius) and warm products warm.

This makes hemp fleece ideal for the Transport from Medication, sensitive Electrical goodsbut of course also from Food.

Disposed of It can also be disposed of in organic waste. Or the filling material can find a new home in the rabbit hutch, for example. Either way, hemp fleece is an extremely sustainable filling material for parcels.

You can buy versatile hemp mats from order here*.

4. wrapping paper from waste paper

Schrenzpapier is a technical term from the mail order business and refers to wrapping paper made from unsorted waste paper. It is Particularly inexpensive and is usually also offered on rolls.

By this wrapping paper* crumple up, you can Also larger cavities in your parcel quickly and in an environmentally friendly way, keeping your goods in place in the box. A simple but extremely sustainable filling material for parcels.

You can buy rolls of protective paper order here*.

5. carton

Visually not quite as beautiful, but particularly robust, is cardboard. It has the same cushioning properties like bubble wrap but is made of recycled paper and can be recycled via paper waste.

The range is huge! Among other things, you can get cardboard as...

• Roll corrugated board (is available here*) to safely protect large or heavy goods from impact.
• shredded corrugated cardboard (is available here*), which, like wood wool, is particularly suitable for sensitive products.
• Cardboard net (is available here*) with which you can wrap your goods. (also called honeycomb liner)

Cardboard is also used as filling material in various thicknesses offered.

Sustainable filling material for packages protects the environment and the wallet

Sustainable padding in shipping boxes is much easier to use than polystyrene or plastic boxes. often the cheaper alternative. Of course, your personal preferences also play a role here.

Corrugated cardboard or Schrenzpapier made from recycled paper are very inexpensive, but less visually appealing due to their typical gray color. Wood wool is a decorative packaging material, but the prices are also somewhat higher.

Also keep in mind that the filling material together with the shipping box is the first thing recipients:inside get to see. Possible higher prices can therefore be quickly put into perspective if you can strengthen customer loyalty through your sustainable actions.

Another important tip in passing: you should buy packaging that fit your program! This means you need less padding material. For example, if you choose cardboard boxes that are only slightly larger than the product, you can still save money despite investing in sustainable filling materials.

Tip: Would you prefer not to spend any money at all on filling material for private shipping? Then simply collect old newspapers and use the newsprint to pad your parcels. They serve their purpose just as well.

These new ecological innovations could revolutionize the packaging industry

Sustainability is the central issue of our generation. That is why there are Constant new developmentsin order to Make life more ecological. Of course, this also applies to the packaging trade.

One innovation, for example, is the insulation of food in the shipping department with (but not vegan) virgin sheep's wool. The Sheep wool has very good insulating properties and also has a heat-regulating effect. This makes it particularly suitable for shipping goods that need to be cooled. As a natural product, it can then be disposed of in the household compost.

Hemp fleece is an equally suitable vegan counterpart here.

We have another development to thank for reusable shipping containers. These are very stable and robust Plastic boxes, which can be used up to 1000 times. The special feature: Filling material is no longer necessary here at all, because the goods can be fastened inside with special holders and are thus protected from impacts.

Similar to wood wool is also Straw used as upholstery and filling material. Another innovation from New York is Fungal tissuewhich grows into any desired shape and could therefore become interesting for shipping in the future.

Frequently asked questions about the filling material of packages answered

Sustainable filling material for packages is the future!

With the switch to organic materials, you not only protect your goods, but also spare the natural resources the earth. For this, when choosing your filling material, think not only about how the packaging material is made, but also how it will be disposed of later.

Finally, you will find here all green alternatives for plastic filling material at a glance:

• Packaging chips made from corn (is available here*)
• Wood wool (is available here*)
• Hemp mats (is available here*)
• Schrenzpapier (is available here*)
• Roll corrugated board (is available here*)
• shredded corrugated cardboard (is available here*)
• Cardboard nets (is available here*)

As you can see, sustainable parcel shipping must be Neither expensive nor complicated be. It doesn't matter whether you look for filling material for cardboard boxes every day or just once in a while - because every piece of plastic or polystyrene you save helps the environment. So let's do it - and make our parcels sustainable!

"What we do today will determine what the world looks like tomorrow."

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (more at Environmental protection quotes)

I hope that I could help you with this post about sustainable filling material for packages and boxes. Do you have any questions, suggestions or further tips? Then I look forward to your comments!

Stay sustainable,

PS: Nowadays, people mainly send orders from the Internet in parcels. How you as a consumer:in store online as sustainably as possible you can find out now in the linked article.