The most cost effective, simplest, and one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental impact of your products packaging is to reduce package size. Reducing the amount of packaging will save on shipping costs, reduce the use of additional packaging materials, and reduce the footprint of shipping a package. The smaller the package the less materials, boxes, etc which in turn reduce the amount of waste and environmental impact.

Apart from reducing the size of your packaging you can also use materials that are environmentally friendly. Most shippers use corrugated boxes that are 100% recyclable but there are additional steps you can take to ensure your packaging is green. It is recommendable to avoid the use of plastics and use recyclable and biodegradable packing materials and boxes. There are packaging options available using boxed made of recycled contents, as well as packing materials made from recycled contents, or biodegradable packing materials. There are also innovative green packing materials and boxes available but many of these products are expensive and not readily accessible. These environmentally friendly materials may not be as sturdy as traditional packing materials so be sure to test the durability of your packing materials for your specific products. Using environmentally friendly packaging is fruitless if your product arrives damaged and you need to re-ship and pack a new products.