Recently, we’ve all been trying our very best to cut down on the amount of plastic we use and be more mindful about the effects our everyday lives could be having on our planet.
As one of the biggest contributors to global plastic waste, the packaging industry has been working hard to find alternative materials that can be used to make the products we use daily more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Here are some of the newest packaging materials that we think you should know about.
Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the hottest packaging trends of the moment, with many brands choosing to use this material, especially with cosmetics products.
This natural material can be produced without the need of additional toxins and is durable enough to be used over and over again. The plant also grows extremely fast, and it’s even perfect for use with food products as the material is safe to be used in microwaves, ovens, and freezers.
Sea plastic
We all know about the tons of plastic that’s floating around in our oceans, so why not put it to good use? Companies have started to retrieve plastic from the ocean, rather than manufacturing it, to create their packaging.
Not only is plastic a strong material that’s widely used in packaging, it’s also a good incentive for people to start cleaning up our oceans, one piece of plastic packaging at a time.
Mushroom packaging
Mushroom is a cheap and eco-friendly packaging alternative that’s best used for smaller items as it’s not quite as durable and strong as some other options. It’s made using cleaned and ground agricultural waste fused together using mushroom roots.
This is particularly sustainable as it uses waste that would have otherwise been thrown away and not reused. Mushroom packaging can also be composed at home as it breaks down into non-toxic, organic matter.
Biodegradable packing peanuts
When being sustainable, you don’t just have to consider the effects of the packaging you use to house your products, but also the packaging that you use when sending them to customers.
Many companies used to use Styrofoam to keep their products safe during transit, but this material is neither recyclable or biodegradable. Biodegradable packing peanuts are a much better option, they don’t cause as much of an environmental impact and are also much more affordable.