There are a lot of different ways that your packaging can help others. But what about the world? is there anything you can do to make a difference? 

One way is your packaging, specifically your inks and printing. Think about it: a lot of the printing that you have isn’t sustainable, and in some cases, turns the packaging that you have into a single-use packaging. Some recycling centers won’t even take the packaging if it’s got an ink that’s petrol based on it. 

So yes, you should look at the printing you are doing. While it might not seem like much, it does impact the overall eco friendliness of the items at hand. 

The Rise of Sustainable Inks 

The first and biggest change to your packaging is the inks that you use.

Think about it, do you use an ink that’s water or soy-based?  Or do you use something that’s petrol based? If the answer is the latter, there’s a problem with your packaging, and it’s time for you to properly start taking care of this.

Water-based inks come off with water and are very sustainable. The one downside is that they may not be as vibrant, but if you’re shipping out tons of items, it works well.

Another one is soy or cornstarch-based inks.   With so many unique ways to utilize these types of inks, they are a viable alternative to those harmful packaging items that emit a ton of toxins and harmful emissions. 

Think about it, when you give sustainable inks, you’re giving the people who buy from you something different, and something that will last a long time. 

Your Printing Plays a Part 

While a lot of traditional printing methods might seem like a good option, they do come with the price of not being as eco friendly as they should be.

If you don’t realize this, look at the current impacts and energy of litho printing. While it does look good, the problems this results in and the impact of the environment also play a huge part in the way things go.

If you’re wasting too much energy, and want to reduce this, you can use digital printing. It’s great for long runs too, because it goes out fast, and also looks great. Printing has come a long way, so you don’t have to worry about it looking washed out or bland either. 

The benefits and Challenges 

With this type of printing, you ultimately reduce the carbon footprint that you have.   This carbon footprint is constantly growing, and results in climate change, and also issues with the way sustainability is measured.   Well, when you reduce this, you’re doing your part in taking care of the planet, something that does pay off in the long haul.

And the best part of this is that you don’t have to worry about the designs being compromised. You can still have some high-quality printing designs without it being messed up through different means. In fact, a lot of companies now rely on digital printing methods because of how easy it is to get some high-quality printing in a single run.

Now, with these sustainability measures, you do need to factor in the costs and performance. The inks, as we mentioned, might not be as vibrant. Combined with digital printing, it may affect the overall look of this. When you balance the performance and costs with overall sustainability, you will be able to give a more eco-friendly and renewable resource, one that will definitely play a long-term role in the success of the company.