How to Help Your Customers Dispose of Your Packaging Correctly
Did you know, that 88% of consumers say they want brands to help them be more eco-friendly? Be the brand your customers want you to be with our top tips to help your customers sustainably dispose of your packaging.
Getting your customer to ‘close the loop’ on your packaging can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re putting in the effort to be your most sustainable self. If the disposal process isn’t “easy” it all too often gets chucked in the too hard basket, or the general waste basket, and ends up in landfill.
Don't let your eco-friendly efforts go to waste! Follow our three top tips to help your customers dispose of your packaging correctly.
1. Make it easy
This may seem like an obvious one but making your packaging easy to get rid of is a sure-fire way to see that it completes its circle of life. For example, compostable packaging sounds great in theory, but if your typical customer doesn’t have easy access to a composting bin, it’s probably not going life its full after life as a wholesome worm snack. Understand your customer and what disposal channels are available to them, and tailor your packaging choices accordingly.
Typically, a recyclable solution is one of the easiest for consumers to understand and access. However, keep in mind that while a lot of material can be recycled, it’s not always straight forward. Only 16% of plastic packaging is recovered in Australia, compared to 63% of paper or cardboard. Wild, right? So, if it can’t go into your kerbside recycling bin there’s a chance it will end up in the general waste bin.
2. Give them clear instructions
Now don't go and let that first tip scare you off all the wonderful eco-friendly innovations that are out there. Just make sure disposing of your packaging isn’t going to be like a game of Guess Who for your customers.
While the disposal symbols are helpful, they're not always clear or consistent, especially for newer eco-friendly solutions. So, if it’s not paper or cardboard, make it easy for your customers by including an instruction card in your orders, creating an informational page on your website, or even better, writing it straight onto your packaging!
3. Show them how
We as humans are very visual creatures, so instead of dusting off the old creative writing skills to construct a masterpiece of instructions that will paint us a word picture, show us! Using images or a video to create a ‘how to’ for disposing of, or even reusing your packaging is a great way to grab your customers attention and make sure your sustainable efforts aren’t going to waste.
This doesn’t just have to be blog content that sits on your website, get on your socials and shows them through Insta reels and stories, or TikToks. That way you’re engaging with your customers while spreading your sustainable message!
Making sure your packaging is fulfilling its eco-friendly potential isn’t as tough as you may think. Keeping it simple and sharing your eco-knowledge with your customers, are two foolproof ways to help you complete your sustainable packaging circle.
Packleo thinks that being kind to the environment doesn’t mean your packaging has to be boring, which is why we’re determined to bring packaging joy to small businesses.
Packleo Packaging Joy.
