9 Innovations in Sustainable Materials for Packaging

Sustainable packaging is becoming an ever-rising trend that more and more people are adopting. According to statistics reported by PR Newswire,

“Around 82% of customers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging.”

If you want to keep up with the market competition and attract more customers, go for sustainable product packaging. But, which materials will be more suitable for your products, and what innovations you can consider for your sustainable packaging are important questions to answer.

In this blog, we will explore 9 innovations in sustainable material packaging that you must consider. Read on to find more!

Importance of Innovative Sustainable Packaging

The significance of innovation and sustainability in the packaging industry is undeniable. When it comes to innovation, it helps you make stand-out packaging that differentiates your business from your competitors. 

When talking about sustainability, it has become the need of the hour as consumers want to control environmental pollution and make the planet greener. Innovative trends in sustainable packaging can help you get dual benefits from one packaging idea.

Innovative trends in sustainable packaging help you figure out the materials and methods that are more eco-friendly than options that others are using. It also helps you make more interactive product packaging that can help you boost your sales.

Innovative packaging trends also help you boost your brand. The new features you embed in your product packaging will impress your buyers and make them remember your name. Also, if you incorporate the sustainability factor, you can establish a positive perception of customers about your brand.

9 Innovations in Sustainable Packaging Materials

Various businesses are looking for reliable yet sustainable packaging options for their products. Having a list of trendy packaging ideas that are eco-friendly and innovative at the same time is no less than a blessing in disguise. Here are 9 innovations in sustainable materials packaging that you can consider:

Seaweed Packaging Materials

Seaweed is a water-based plant that is famous for its high-tensile strength. This exceptional material can be used as a remarkable alternative to plastic in the packaging industry. With amazing durability, it can help make packaging that lasts for a long time and provides significant protection to items packed in them.

Being plant-based options, it is also 100% biodegradable and recyclable. It decomposes leaving no carbon footprint. So, if you want to go for as reliable material as plastic, yet eco-friendly, seaweed is your go-to option.

You can even print whatever you want on seaweed. Don’t worry about adding your brand elements to seaweed packaging; just go for it!

Reusable Paper-Based Packaging

The reusability of the product packaging is also an important element that helps reduce environmental waste. Reusing a product many times not only provides users with a cost-efficient alternative to products but also puts less burden on landfills.

If you want to attract eco-conscious buyers without compromising on your packaging quality, source robust or plantable packaging materials. For instance, you can pack your products in kraft, or rigid boxes that your customers can reuse for multiple purposes. Kraft is used to make flexible and 100% biodegradable packaging for your products.

These boxes can be used to store householding, stationery, and more. Also, users can take the liberty to grow plants in these boxes. These packaging boxes are long-lasting and can contain humid soil without any worries making them ideal for gardening purposes.

Compostable Packaging Materials

Compostable packaging is the one made from a material that you can compost. Composting is the process of making fertilizers out of natural items. Using compostable packaging is an ideal choice if you want to contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of our planet.

Kraft, cardboard, and corrugated materials are ideal choices in this regard. All these packaging materials are not only biodegradable but also compostable. However, you should use eco-friendly printing on these packaging materials if you want to keep their compostable properties.

You can also paste a label of ‘compostable packaging’ on these materials. It will make your customers aware that they can send this packaging to compost manufacturers after using it.

Plant-Based Packaging Materials

When it comes to plant-based packaging, most people think of cardboard and kraft. However, these are just some common wood-based packaging options. The world of plant-based packaging is quite wider than that.

You can go for sugarcane bagasse, cotton, and other options as well to make eco-friendly packaging. Sugarcane bagasse doesn't have to be wasted. You can use it to make durable and long-lasting boxes, trays, and more.

When it comes to cotton, you can use it to create cellulose packaging. Cellulose fibers are famous for their ultimate durability and reliability. These properties make cotton perfect for making durable bags for product packaging.

Mushroom-Based Packaging Inserts

If you are looking for innovative sustainable packaging, mushroom-based packaging is another excellent option. Mycelium is a mushroom that serves as an excellent packaging material. The tensile strength and cushioning effect of mushrooms makes them a remarkable alternative to styrofoam.

You can make a wide range of packaging inserts from mushrooms. Whether you want to pack furniture or electronics for shipping, you can use mushroom inserts for ultimate protection throughout the transit. You can also go for mushroom-based disposable trays and cups, as styrofoam food packaging contains some toxins that can affect your health.

Despite being thick and durable, mushroom-based packaging materials can decompose under natural circumstances. So, they protect our environment from pollution by leaving no carbon footprint.

Edible Packaging for Food

Another innovative approach to sustainable packaging for food products is edible product packaging. These packaging options avoid the hazards of toxic food packaging materials. It is the type of packaging that users can eat without worrying about health hazards.

Numerous innovative options are available when it comes to edible packaging. You can use packaging made from corn, flour, or rice. Rice-based bags are becoming popular for packing food items like cookies, wafers, etc.

Apart from bags, you can also make edible cups using starch that your customers can use to enjoy coffee or tea. After finishing the drink, users can eat the cup as well.

One of the biggest drawbacks of edible packaging is that it is good for one-time use only. Once used, either they are eaten or wasted.

Upcycled Waste Materials

Industry trends are evolving exponentially when it comes to sustainable packaging options. Upcycled waste has become an Innovative sustainable packaging material. Waste from different industries is treated and used to make many types of products. So, why not packaging?

You can use paper, plastic, and fabric waste to make many types of product packaging. All these materials are collected at a large scale and recycled to make bottles, bags, and other packaging types.

The best thing about using upcycled material for packaging is that you can contribute to reducing landfill loads. All this without compromising the quality of product packaging, because these materials are quite robust even after getting bleached and recycled.

Shrimp Shell-Based Wraps

Endless shrimps are used as food every year. So, what to do with their shells, as they can’t be eaten? They don’t get to waste, as they have a wide range of usage. When it comes to packaging, shrimp shells can be used to make robust product packaging.

After grinding and processing these shells, you get one of the best alternatives to plastic to make reliable product packaging. The plastic-like material derived from these shells is called Shrilk. They are famous for their utmost durability and biodegradability.

You can pack a variety of packaging from this material. You can make bags, cups, boxes, and other packaging types using shrimp shells. These packaging types are excellent for packing a variety of products, especially safe for food packaging.

 Poly Butylene Adipate Co-Terephthalate (PBAT)

Going for the right plastic-based packaging that is also biodegradable has become the need of the hour. The reason is that plastic is cost-effective and serves as an excellent material to make reliable product packaging. However, its environmental hazards make it not so ideal packaging material choice.

One of the best alternatives you can choose to make stand-out packaging is PBAT. It is a thin plastic material that acts as a remarkable material to make shopping bags and other packaging types.

The best property that makes PBAT an exclusive packaging material is its biodegradability. Even though it is plastic, it decomposes naturally leaving no carbon footprint. So, using PBAT packaging instead of polythene or other plastic bags helps you make a statement and save our environment.

Eco-Friendly Printing for Your Packaging

Although printed inks are not the manufacturing materials of packaging, discussing them is important. The reason is that printing inks affects the overall sustainability of your product packaging. Most inks used to print your packaging are neither biodegradable nor recyclable. Also, they contain toxins that are hazardous to the biodiversity of our planet.

If you want to make your product packaging 100% eco-friendly, go for sustainable printing along with choosing eco-friendly materials. To do so, you can consider many options like soy-based or water-based inks for printing purposes. Both these options are biodegradable having no harmful effects on our planet.

Despite being biodegradable, they offer long-lasting printing results on your product packaging. Also, the quality of printed imagery, text, and graphics remains top-tier with soy or water-based inks.

Where to Buy Innovative & Sustainable Materials for Packaging?

Now that you know groundbreaking innovations in sustainable materials of packaging, let’s discuss where you can buy these packaging materials. If you want to get reliable high-quality, yet sustainable packaging from a credible source, reach out to OXO Packaging.

We offer you a wide range of biodegradable and recyclable options to meet your packaging needs. Along with sustainable packaging, our endless customizations are also famous. You can personalize the shapes, sizes, prints, colors, and more of your packaging according to your preferences.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact us right away to get a quote for your required packaging.

Conclusion

This is about the innovations in sustainable materials packaging. As consumers are more aware of the hazards of pollution, they prefer to buy products packed in sustainable packaging. If you want to go for innovative sustainable packaging for your business, you can consider the above-mentioned 9 options.

If you have any questions, or planning to purchase custom packaging for your products, get in touch with us.