It is estimated that eight million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the oceans every single year. With marine life threatened as well as seabirds, with their inadvertent consumption of plastic, it is no surprise that there has been a sharp increase in concern lately. More and more people are becoming worried about the threat of plastic and the environmental devastation that plastic is causing.
With demand for the reduction in plastic growing, consumers are desperate for businesses to come up with better ways to package products. However, what is the solution when almost all packaging seems to use plastic in some form? Well, surprisingly, corrugated board may be the answer to the plastic problem that the world is facing. Here are just four of the reasons why.
Four reasons why corrugated board is the answer to the plastic problem
- Food packaging
Plastic is prevalent in supermarkets where lots of food are wrapped or stored in plastic containers for customer convenience. When it comes to fresh food, plastic can help to provide a stable base for the food to prevent damage; it can also help to make it easier when shipping and transporting goods. However, corrugated cardboard can offer the same benefits without the burden of adding more plastic to the environment.
Corrugated board is stable and provides a secure base for food and well as being easy to carry, transport and ship. Lots of fruit suppliers already use corrugated card for this reason. However, corrugated card can be used for a range of different food items. Especially as corrugated board can help to keep moisture away from products, which can increase their lifespan and ensure foods can withstand a long shipping journey.
As corrugated board is incredibly versatile with different thicknesses, shapes and sizes, it makes it incredibly versatile for a range of food items. This means customers can avoid unnecessary plastic when loading up their trolleys.
- Custom creations
Plastic is often chosen for packaging as it can be moulded into a range of shapes to suit a range of products. However, corrugated board is just as versatile and customisable. The thickness of corrugated cardboard can be altered to suit different products while the fact it can be cut to any size and create a range of shapes mean it is easy to create a bespoke packaging container using cardboard alone.
What’s more, the corrugated board can receive a range of treatment and coating to help bolster the strength and versatility of the packaging. For safety, corrugated cardboard can be coated with a waterproof material as well as flame resistant material to make it an ideal packaging choice for a range of different industries.
Cardboard can then be printed using digital and screen printing to create a vibrant design for your packaging. This can help you to increase visibility for your brand, become a powerful marketing method and ensure your products and packaging stand out from the crowd. While plastic can also be customised, the fact that you can print directly onto corrugated board means it is cheaper, quicker and more convenient to produce.
- Sustainability
Corrugated board can be made from 100% recycled material. Furthermore, it can be completely recycled after use. As well as being recycled, corrugated board is strong enough to be reused many times. In most cases, corrugated cardboard can be folded down flat for storage and then be used again when it is needed.
With sustainability at the forefront of people’s minds, it has never been so important to promote greener materials, products and packaging. With more and more people wanting to veer away from non-degradable plastic, the corrugated board provides the perfect sustainable packaging alternative to plastic.
By printing messages directly onto the cardboard, you can make it clear to customers how sustainable your packaging is and how they can dispose of your packaging after use.
- Cost-effective
Corrugated board can be a cost-effective packaging solution for many businesses. Firstly, corrugated cardboard is relatively cheap to produce and budget-friendly to purchase. Secondly, it is lightweight for packaging which may help to lower the total weight of products when shipping. This means that you can achieve savings in shipping costs, whether you use a third-party supplier or by saving money on the fuel used to transport goods.
Furthermore, corrugated cardboard can be shaped to fit custom product sizes, which means you can save space when shipping, helping you to send more items for the same cost which will help your bottom line.
