What is Environmentally Friendly Packaging?

Environmentally Friendly Packaging, also known as Eco-Friendly Packaging or Sustainable Packaging, refers to packaging materials and products designed to reduce their environmental impact throughout their lifecycle, from manufacturing and transportation through to disposal or recycling.

Environmentally friendly packaging may be made from recycled, recyclable, reusable, biodegradable or compostable materials. Common examples include recycled cardboard cartons, paper packaging, paper void fill, recyclable protective packaging and packaging manufactured using recycled plastics.

The aim of environmentally friendly packaging is to reduce waste, conserve natural resources and minimise pollution while still providing effective protection for products during storage, handling and transportation.

Choosing environmentally friendly packaging can help businesses reduce their environmental footprint, minimise unnecessary packaging waste and support more sustainable packaging practices.

However, not all packaging labelled biodegradable, recyclable or compostable is necessarily environmentally friendly in every situation. Its environmental benefits depend on the materials used, manufacturing processes and available recycling or disposal facilities.