With pressure mounting on retailers to go ‘plastic-free’, Antalis Packaging has revealed that when it comes to meeting the Government’s recently announced waste targets, minimising the overall amount of packaging businesses use is just as important as replacing plastic with more recyclable materials.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to eliminate all of the UK’s avoidable plastic waste by 2043 as a part of her plan to tackle the 3.7 million tonnes of plastic waste generated each year – almost 80% of which ends up in landfills or in the natural environment.
Since the announcement, a raft of major supermarket and restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, Iceland and Waitrose have all unveiled plans to either eliminate or drastically reduce plastic packaging on products.
With this in mind, leading specialist Antalis Packaging has said that while it’s important to cut down on the use of plastics in favour of more sustainable materials, businesses shouldn’t overlook the fact that tackling excessive use of packaging can go a long way in meeting the UK’s waste targets.
Scott Tuckey, Product Manager at Antalis Packaging, comments: “The packaging landscape is a complex one and what often gets overlooked in the debate on waste reduction is that for many small businesses plastic remains the most economically viable option and in some cases has a lower carbon footprint than those considered more environmentally friendly.
“What’s equally important, we’ve found, is the poor or excessive use of plastic materials and packaging as a whole, which if addressed correctly can significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill or in the environment, including plastic.
“With online sales continuing to rise year-on-year, consumers not only expect a hassle-free, seamless and impressive unboxing experience at home, but are increasingly favouring companies who care about the environment.
“At Antalis Packaging, we offer a number of solutions that can help businesses improve their sustainability whether that’s by reducing their carbon footprint via warehouse optimisation, or reducing the material used through to using greener packaging solutions.
“For businesses unsure of where to start, we offer a free Smart Audit where our experts will review your current packaging materials and procedures and suggest ways you can improve, including how to boost customer confidence by injecting that all-important ‘wow’ factor and reducing waste.”
Antalis Packaging’s top tips to more sustainable packaging:
Bespoke solutions – Tailoring your packaging to perfectly fit your product not only promotes less waste, but is also a more protective and efficient way to transport your goods. For example, our Geami WrapPak® range is an eco-friendly, cost effective and aestheticallypleasing alternative to traditional bubble wrap that can significantly reduce the need for plastic void-fill. We also offer FSC-certified boxes that are fully recyclable; you can even opt for fully bespoke pack designs created by our team of packaging technologists and experts. Choosing a bespoke solution also allows you to experience the added value of features such as personalisation, not only will the pack by more environmentally friendly it will also act as a means to WOW your customers.
Consider box sizes – Having a variety of box sizes available for your packers makes it easier to match the size of the packaging to the product being packed, reducing the amount of outer packaging and void-fill required. This includes multi-depth boxes, which have creases down the box to allow it to be folded down to the right size.
Introducing an automated boxsizing machine can also help eliminate the need for void-fill all together, as well as cutting down warehouse storage. Our I-Pack® corrugated automated packing system is a machine that measures the height of the contents in each box and then reduce its size to match by folding down the box flaps. After UK discount bookseller The Book People installed the system, they were able to halve the amount of packaging they used, helping to free up valuable warehouse space.
To find out more about the full Antalis Packaging range, go to www.antalispackaging.co.uk. You can also arrange a free packaging audit or discover more tips to minimise the amount of packaging you use by visiting www.antalispackagingsolutions.co.uk or by calling one of the Antalis Packaging experts on 0370 241 1466.
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