by Growing high-quality produce requires patience and a commitment to sustainable farming practices. That dedication to environmental responsibility inspires many people to buy directly from small farms and food growers in the first place.
But what message are you sending customers if your fresh, organic produce comes packaged in single-use plastics, styrofoam, and other wasteful materials?
Using sustainable produce packaging is a great way to improve your brand image and help the environment. However, it’s not without its drawbacks.
In this article, learn about the different types of sustainable produce packaging and the pros and cons of using it for your fresh food e-commerce sales.
What Is Sustainable Produce Packaging?
Sustainable (or eco-friendly) food packaging uses materials and designs that reduce environmental impact. Unlike traditional plastic and single-use packaging, these solutions focus on biodegradable materials and efficient designs.
Here are some quick examples of sustainable produce packaging:
- Biodegradable and compostable materials, such as bioplastics made from corn or potato, or compostable materials like bamboo or bagasse
- Recyclable boxes and paper-based packing materials
- Resource-efficient designs that protect produce with minimal materials, cutting both waste and shipping costs
For food producers, eco-friendly packaging also must balance minimizing environmental impact and meeting food safety standards.
Pros: Sustainable Produce Packaging Benefits
Investing in sustainable produce packaging is a great way to show your customers that you’re dedicated to building an environmentally friendly business. Here are the three main benefits.
1. Better for the Environment
The most obvious reason to use sustainable packaging is its environmental benefit. Unlike traditional packaging, which accounts for over 82 million tons of plastic waste annually, sustainable packaging can be reused or composted if disposed of properly.
For example, box liners made from sustainable materials protect the environment and decrease package weight, benefiting both sustainability and shipping costs.
Rightsizing your packaging can also reduce your environmental impact. This method matches package dimensions to product needs, optimizing material use and shipping space.
2. Establishes Eco-Friendly Brand Image
As many consumers turn to small farms and food growers for more sustainable alternatives to large grocery store chains, eco-friendly packaging is a good way to demonstrate your commitment to sustainable farming practices with every shipment.
An eco-friendly brand image is also good for business.
Customers are willing to pay a premium for food grown sustainably, and over half of U.S. customers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. By investing in eco-friendly packing materials, you’re investing in an identity that’s popular with customers interested in exploring locally sourced food.
Using traditional packaging, such as single-use plastics and Styrofoam, could damage your reputation. What will customers think when you talk about how important it is to raise crops and livestock ethically using environmentally friendly materials, only to send those products in wasteful packaging?
Consider your packaging as an extension of your sustainable farming story.
3. Easier To Comply With Future Packaging Regulations
Several states have implemented rules limiting single-use plastics and other unsustainable packaging materials. According to some studies, these laws are gaining steam, and over two-thirds of Americans support a ban or restriction on them.
Instead of waiting for new compliance rules to hit, why not get ahead of them? As long as your packaging is food-safe, there are no legal restrictions on using sustainable packaging.
Cons: Sustainable Produce Packaging Drawbacks
Sustainable packaging appeals to many customers and helps create an eco-friendly brand image, but it is not always economically or logistically feasible for small businesses.
Here are three downsides of using sustainable packaging for your produce.
1. More Expensive Starting Costs
If you have an established business selling food directly to customers, the transition from traditional to sustainable packaging will be costly.
- The materials themselves: Buying sustainable packaging will require some upfront spending, and many sustainable packing materials are more expensive than their traditional counterparts.
- Relearning packing methods: Even if you’ve mastered your food packing system, there will be an initial learning curve when using new materials.
If you’re considering transitioning to sustainable materials, you don’t have to change everything at once. To be more cost-effective, consider making changes in smaller steps.
H3: 2. Not as Durable
While reducing your business’ environmental impact may appeal to customers, the reality of shipping your products is more challenging. Some sustainable food packaging is less durable, especially for long-distance shipments.
Your top priority is to deliver fresh, safe food to your customers’ doors. If eco-friendly packaging doesn’t do that consistently, it’s not worth the risk.
Generally speaking, eco-friendly materials can be safely shipped within a 1-day shipping zone.
Once again, an all-or-nothing approach may not be the best way to address this challenge. Consider transitioning to sustainable packaging for local deliveries and more traditional packaging for long-distance shipments.
Set up packing notes on your e-commerce solution to use different packaging types based on customers’ zip codes or whether the orders are for shipment or local pickup.
3. Harder To Scale
Sustainable packaging may save you more money in the long term, but it is difficult to predict which specific materials will be widely used in the future.
That means you may periodically have to change your packing processes as certain materials become more popular or availability changes. Sustainable packaging requires a close relationship with suppliers to stay ahead of trends and supply chain disruptions.
Related Read: The 6 Food E-Commerce Trends To Look Out For
Last, the ability to buy some sustainable packing materials in bulk is limited, and to maintain a healthy profit margin, you’ll have to pass that cost on to customers, either through added shipping fees or raised prices.
Resources for Adopting Sustainable Packaging and Farming Practices
If you’re interested in adopting sustainable food packaging but don’t know where to start — no worries. Here are a few resources to get you started.
- Sustainable Packaging Coalition is an organization that is pushing for more sustainable packaging across industries. They also have many guides with insights and tips on adopting sustainable packaging.
- Marrion Supply creates eco-friendly materials used in over 4,000 successful food shipments.
- Food Tank compiled a list of companies working on creating sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.
Get in touch with our team today if you’re curious about how we help GrazeCart customers find eco-friendly packaging.
Master Fresh Food Shipping Best Practices To Grow Your Business
Whether or not eco-friendly packaging is worth investing in depends greatly on your brand, customers, and budget. However, sustainable packaging can have big benefits for farmers and food growers who base their brand on growing high-quality, organic products.
Here are a few more tips to ensure you get the most out of your sustainable packing investment.
- Price shipping accordingly: If you transition to sustainable packaging, adjust your shipping costs to avoid losing money on shipments.
- Keep it local: Sustainable packaging is best used for overnight shipments, local shipments, and local pickups. Know when to use sustainable packaging (and when not to).
- Educate customers: Ensure customers know exactly what parts of your packaging can be reused, which can be recycled, and which to throw away. Also, keep customers informed on the importance of using sustainable packaging in your social media posts and newsletters.
- Partner with sustainable manufacturers: Find sustainable packaging manufacturers to work with to get the best materials for your business and find more opportunities to customize packaging to your brand.
Sustainable produce packaging is only one part of successfully selling fresh food to customers online. To master all aspects of shipping perishable food, check out our perishable shipping course!
