Sustainability is the way forward. Not just in life, but in business, too. More and more customers are making an effort to go green with their purchases. So much so in fact, more than 60% of shoppers say they would pay more for a product if it came with sustainable packaging. Keeping this in mind, shouldn’t your business be making changes, too?
One area to make more eco-friendly is shipping. Between packaging and delivery vehicles, there are a lot of adjustments that could be made. However, to ensure you are consistent, it is best to begin with smaller changes. Fortunately for you, three green choices for the shipping process have been outlined below.
Opt for Sustainable Packaging
The first aspect to look at is your packaging. A lot of packaging is put in the garbage once the customer takes the item out. This has a big impact on the environment. Packaging materials will vary in how harmful they are, with plastic being a major concern due to its slow degradation – it takes centuries. For this reason, choosing a biodegradable packaging is encouraged.
Biodegradable options break down naturally. This includes cardboard, paper, and seaweed. There are also bioplastics and mushroom packaging to consider. Using these materials could result in less waste ending up in landfills and oceans; these are where traditional plastics often end up for hundreds of years.
As well as biodegradable packaging, look into recycling and reusing. If given the information needed, customers will feel more confident recycling the packaging they receive. You might add a recycling sticker to the package or include information in the dispatched email. Similarly, reusing the packaging for their own needs is a possibility.
Consolidate Shipments
Sending out multiple orders in separate deliveries increases carbon emissions. This is why it’s a good idea to combine them. Your smaller shipments will be consolidated into one larger shipment for transport, and this is best done in the same location. For example, if you have five or six orders to be delivered in one town, these should all be placed in the same vehicle.
If you do this, ensure they are delivered one after the other, though. Route planning is essential, too. Your attempts at being environmentally friendly will be dashed if the driver zigzags out of town for other deliveries before looping back. This’ll only add more miles to the journey.
Having control over this is simpler in-house. It’ll take more effort to discuss your needs if you outsource. Work closely with your chosen courier partner. Certain couriers, like this California courier services, will employ high quality route optimization software to plan the most efficient delivery paths. This’ll help you meet your green goals.
Communicate Your Efforts
No matter what you do, all eco-friendly choices you make must be explained to the consumer. Transparency is vital in the business-customer relationship, so articulating your green initiatives demonstrates corporate responsibility and honesty. Not only that, but it’ll also foster a deeper and more transparent relationship with your customers.
You might even find that more eco-conscious customers will flock to your business. As mentioned before, more and more consumers are prioritizing sustainability. Highlighting your efforts will help you capture this market share.
Telling your customers about your efforts must be clear. Avoid industry jargon – this only confuses and frustrates shoppers. Your language must be easy for the general audience to understand. Just make sure you explain the benefits of your choices. Say “made from natural materials, which will break down safely” instead of “biodegradable polymers.”
To conclude, prioritizing green choices when shipping orders isn’t just a trend – it’s a necessity. The three tips mentioned in this post are easy ways to do so, and they are the best options to begin this new path.