Eco Friendly Packaging Options

With the clothing industry growing more and more competitive than ever before, a lot of companies have to look at unique ways to differentiate, any way that they can.  A lot of times, people choose the custom options for you to check out.  But what about companies online that are trying to have a good brand image while also looking at ways to have some kind of customized look? 

Well, here are some eco friendly, sustainable ways to look good. 

Mailers that are Eco Friendly 

The first thing is mailers or mailer envelopes that are considered eco friendly. They’re great for shipping out the apparel, and lots of companies like that.

There are tons of options out there, so you can get eco-friendly ones of different types.

You can get them made directly from different recycled materials. Some are even made from fiberglass that’s been reinforced, which offers the best types of protection that you can for this area. 

They look nice in and of themselves, but by putting a log on them, they can really shine.

Tissue Paper 

Another way to be sustainable and different, is to use tissue paper. This is good for packing items that are fragile and delicate, and they offer a cushioning that’s super attractive for you to check out, especially given the way that it looks. 

Custom tissue paper can be pretty sustainable too. In fact, it can be free of acids, sulfur, and lignin, which are all chemicals you want to avoid when being ethical. You can also get this source from forests that are managed, offering a sustainable, high-quality, and least impactful means for you to get the most out of this.

When you’re able to protect the forests, you’ll see a difference.  Inks that are synthetic can mess with the efforts to recycle, and be terrible for our water. It even causes issues for our health, especially for handlers. Soy-based inks make it much easier for you to recycle, and are better for the reproduction of color, to make a better impact during your own environmental efforts. 

Tape that’s Customized. 

When you have corrugated boxes, you probably already know that they’re both reliable and strong. But, a lot of times, people feel like the boxes are boring, which is why customized tape is the best way to make all of your packages stand out from the crowd.

It’s something that hasn’t always been seen in a positive manner though.  You have to get rid of the tape in order to recycle this, but when you get a certain customized type, especially kraft tape and also water-based tape, it’s one that’s very easy for you to recycle. That’s because it can be removed with water, or water breaks this down, making it more sustainable than before. 

Poly Mailers 

Poly mailers that are made from polyethylene are a great way to stand out as an eco-friendly type of mailer.  It’s super easy to recycle these, and they’re made in a manner that protects them from moisture, light, and even dirt. With the customized printing options, it also won’t impact their ability to recycle, and makes it more memorable. 

Labels 

Finally, make sure that you get sustainable label rolls. This is a good way to show different slogans, signatures, and even logos, which are key for branding. They’re worth it, especially if you’re someone who wants a more eco-friendly option for your packaging, and to offer the peak sustainability that you can. 

These are all good, sustainable ways to get the most that you can out of your packaging. 

Making Christmas Special for Everyone

Christmas is a great time to spread joy and happiness. With a lot of people getting excited for this occasion, it makes sense that you want to give it your all to make others feel special, and happy as well. There are a lot of things you can do in order to make this great for everyone.  If you’re going to make Christmas good, here are some fun ways to really make it shine. 

Use Special Items for special Occasions 

Many times, one of the best ways to make another person happy is to just put some effort into making the day nice and special. The little things do help, and sometimes, you don’t have to worry about this problem.  You want to make sure that you give them something they’ll remember, such as surprise dinner, or custom Christmas boxes. Focus on the other person and try to make them happy. 

Cook a Nice Dinner 

Christmas, especially dinnertime during the holidays, is a great way to make this special. Cooking traditional types of dinners and dishes are important, and according to the tastes. Dinners are good rituals, especially if they are not outdated. They’re great for gathering loved ones all at the table. 

Bake Cookies 

Baking some cookies is a great way to make other people happy and make yourself feel good too. There are different types of Christmas cookies that you can bake.  Baking them is also a fun way to spend some time with those that you love, and also bake something they’ll truly remember. You can even pack these in some boxes, and then give them to them, to really show that you care about other people. It’s a great way to show you care without breaking the bank. 

Enjoy Christmas Activities 

There are a ton of great Christmas activities that you can enjoy during this time. 

For instance, maybe try to go see some Christmas lights and decorations with those that you love. Play games with these close people and hang out with them.  It might seem like a small thing, but spending time together is a great way to enjoy all of these different activities that are there. 

Christmas Presents 

You may also want to give them something special. It’s that time of the year to give them something to remember you by. It can be hard to choose the perfect gift, but you can get a lot of great things from gadgets to clothing to jewelry, to even perfumes and homemade items. You want to make sure that these are presented in great ways. There are now customized types of Christmas items that you can give to them, to really enhance that excitement, for the person you’re giving this to. 

Go see Festivals 

There are so many great festivals and events that are out there. you may find them when you’re shopping, or even just noticing the lights. There are also the local markets, which are chock-full of Christmas décor.  Many people visit this, and you’ll be able to enjoy all of this with those that you love. It might not seem like much, but just seeing this with other people can definitely make Christmas a lot better. 

Make a Gingerbread house 

Finally, consider making a gingerbread house. You can get some ready-made types of dough, or you can make your own if you want to get into baking it. it’s a great activity and a fun one that you can do with kids, or even with other guests and the like, especially for parties as well.

New Trends to shrink Label formats that are Challenging the Market

Shrink sleeves are popular, but many times in order to stand out, you have to be different. Here, we’ll go over the hottest trends that are happening right now in the shrink sleeve market, which are different and more unique than before. 

Focusing on the Environment 

Plastics are not good for our world, and more and more people are not encouraging the use of this, especially single-use plastic. Shrink sleeves are now changing to fit this, to fit circular environments. Retailers, brand owners and consumers get challenged every single day in order to eliminate and also reduce the plastic that’s there. This is also pushing for more inks, films, and other methods that are aimed at recyclability completely. The efforts ensure as well that shrink sleeves don't hinder the PET recovery in recycling systems. 

Competitive Technologies Grow 

There are some big technologies that are starting to grow in shrink sleeve packaging. First, you’ve got the direct to container forms of printing, which helps with creating a sustainability advantage through getting rid of labels completely. It also is much more flexible, so if you want to offer more personalized packaging, then there you go.

Second option is stand up pouches. This eliminates that need for labels and containers that are plastic and rigid.  These pouches use about half the amount of plastic that’s used in a container, ranging from up to 70% less in some cases. They’re lighter, and more effective for spaces before they get filled. 

There are also huge cost savings on warehouses and transportation. While not difficult to understand, there are a couple of drawbacks.There is less plastic, but it usually isn’t super recycled.  They are legitimate debates for people, and being fully recyclable offers less plastic, but it may not be recyclable.  It ultimately depends on the plastic at hand, and all that’s needed. 

Using Ecommerce 

E Commerce is a growing trend, growing almost 20% in recent years. So how does switching to this impact the shrink sleeve labels that are there. It’s something that’s a big part of the success of shrink sleeves, aiming to get the attention of the shoppers that walk down the aisles. It’s only fair for those that are in the shrink sleeve world to also focus on virtual shopping too. 

While you do have some research indicating the product and how it’s shaped, there are also other packaging factors in ecommerce that’s at minimum, with the point being that shrink sleeves have a huge impact, shifting away from it being the point of purchase, to being something you buy online to fit on your table. 

Quality Concerns 

Finally, we see some quality issues that are there and it’s become a major problem for some people. 

Some people see more shrink sleeves that look great, but there are also those with seaming issues, distortion and prepress issues, different fold lines, and applications of the shrinking problems. 

We are seeing these concerns a whole lot more, and while some of these gross flagrant problems are something that you may see fixed right away, others may not be.

While there have been six decades since the intention of the shrink sleeve, this is still ever-growing and evolving, along with challenging many of us, in a manner where it feels practically brand new. Innovation is constantly changing, emerging across all sorts of chains, and the growth of this is something that has yet to peak yet.  Hopefully we’ll get to see more of these trends as well over time and with more innovations too.

Packaging for Extreme Environments: what to Consider

When you’re shipping items to more extreme environments, such as very hot, very cold, or where you know the handling will be rough, you do need to prepare accordingly. 

The biggest thing to remember is protection and durability, in order to ensure that you get the most you can out of your experience. Here, we’ll go over the different considerations you need to make when you’re packaging for these unique environments, and how to factor all of this in.

Why be Durable? 

If you're durable, you reduce the risk of packaging damage. 

This is the number one reason for returns in many cases. Customers don’t want to be disappointed when they buy from you, so you need to make sure that your packaging is strong, and protective against the elements.   

To make this durable, you don’t need to do much, but factor in what we’re about to offer when packaging for this environment. 

Elements of Extreme Environmental Packaging 

There’s a few things that you need when you want to package for a more extreme environment.

First, is the materials.   Those that are resistant to heat and water are a good place to start. You don’t want the package to get soggy and ruin the contents, right? 

The second thing is you want to make sure that heat won’t warp the items at hand, making this stronger and better than before. 

You also want to make sure that the packaging is shockproof. What we mean is, when you’re shipping electronics, you make sure that it can handle jostles and such. foam is the best way to ensure that you can prevent this. 

Packaging for Long-Distance Shipping 

If you’re packaging for long-distance shipping, you want to make sure that it’s strong. Corrugated boxes are a good place to begin, because they are very robust, and provide you with a shocking, strong experience that works well. 

The same goes for outdoor storage. If you know it’s going to be left outside, like freight goods or items for ships, you want to make sure the outer boxes are strong.

Make sure as well that it can handle harsher climates. Extreme cold is something that some people don’t realize, and the humidity can impact the overall integrity of the items. 

By doing this, you prevent returns, and make it so that the item gets to the customers in the best state that it can.

The benefits and Drawbacks of this 

When you practice good shipping for these climes, you are able to protect products from the most demanding temperatures and conditions. Naturally, it will make it much easier for you to ship items, as you won’t have to worry about it getting damaged.

It minimizes returns, and customers will be much happier if they get an item from you that is prepared accordingly. So yes, doing this will change your life, and the overall benefits that come from this.

But, it does come with some drawbacks. You do need to make this strong, that’s for sure. but you also need to be ready to balance out the sustainability of the items.   Those items that aren’t sustainable work for cushioning, so you need to factor that in.

The costs are another. It costs more to add protection, for obvious reasons. So making sure that you’re able to also add in costs is vital to your overall success.

When you’re shipping items. Consider as well the extreme locales. Prepare accordingly, and from there, make sure that you give your customers the ultimate experience that you can, in order to achieve great success.

Is your shipping damage harming you?

 Shipping damage is not good for companies, as this does leave customers and companies vulnerable to negative and bad reviews. Over a period of time, the damage does hurt the brand, driving customers away. That's why it’s vital to utilize some protective packaging, in order to make sure that the items arrive at destinations intact. 

Once you’ve lost good standing with customers, it’s hard to get it back. 

Ask yourself the following questions, and if the answer is no, read on to figure out how to protect the brand: 

• Do I monitor reviews online that mention damage from shipping 

• Are there reviews that have recurring issues mentioned 

• Am I using the correct protective packaging 

• Am I using enough for this protective packaging? 

Monitoring Reviews 

Reviews are pretty much the way to show others whether or not they like your brand. 

While most businesses will get good, positive reviews, if you use the incorrect packaging, such as protective sheets and foam inserts, you will create a problem for yourself.  A log of customers get mad if they get an item at their doorstep that's broken, for a good reason.

Not only that, but you’re also going to have to deal with the returns that come from this. it hurts the brands, and it’s something that can be a major problem. 

People get motivated with revisions when they’re upset with products. If you’ve got reputations for not protecting these items when shipping, then this will come up in future reviews.  Too many negative comments and quips will turn away customers and hurt your profits. 

Address issues recurring 

Nothing is worse than having customers scared away via negative reviews. Business owners need to take responsibility for this. While it’s hard to accept this, it’s vital to check for the legitimate issues of customers and their customer service. 

If there is anything referencing the damage during shipment, you’ll need to fix this one fast. Addressing and fixing this issue will help the brand, and in turn, you’ll feel more organized and appropriate with your actions as a result of this. 

Prevention 

You want to also prevent this. That way, you’ve got far less problems down the line.

The right packaging to protect this does matter. Pink foam that’s anti-static is vital for electronics.  It’s designed to dissipate safely and slowly the electrical discharge. 

You also will need more than one type of packaging material. For instance, while smaller bubble wrap protects a TV from getting scratched up, you need foam or a larger type of bubble wrap for impact damage.  It also is good for prevention of jostles or drops as well. 

Value the customers 

Finally, you’ve got to start valuing the customers better.  Your customers do take kindly to having their items show up in one piece, and also on time. 

If you’re consistently delivering products that are damaged, they won't want to work with you. This is because they will see that you don’t care. 

If that’s the case, then they’re going to leave you for a competitor or, so you’ll thereby lose the business. You want to use the right type and the packaging amount, prevention of damage and also to maintain a more positive relationship with customers that are there. 

Overall, there are a lot of things that can go wrong with the products that you sell. One of them is shipping damage, which you don’t want. With that said, you need to focus on the proper treatment of these products, and to prevent this in the process before it gets worse for you.