Recycling and packaging are the most important things at a glance

 The topic of recycling is playing an increasingly important role in the packaging industry. In the past, people hardly thought about whether and how much plastic was used in packaging, but today there is increasing awareness of more sustainable and recyclable packaging solutions. So why is packaging still crucial in many areas? And how can plastic waste are avoided in the best possible way?

Why is good packaging essential for food?

In the case of many products, the packaging serves primarily as protection. Food often has to travel long distances before it finally ends up in the supermarket and thus also with the end consumer. Suitable packaging ensures that the food arrives safely without losing its quality or taste. With the suitable packaging material, food can be kept longer. In addition, an exact quantity label is given on each packaging. In this way, the consumer can see how much of the desired food is actually in the pack. He can decide individually whether the package contents seem too little, too much, or just right. This prevents unnecessary leftover food in the kitchen at home and thus prevents food waste before. Check out our custom burger boxes selection in the SM Custom Packaging for The purpose of Custom burger boxes is to present and keep up the Burger's newness and surface.

Dispose of different packaging materials differently

When it comes to recycling, the top priority is to separate the individual packaging concerning its materials. According to correct waste separation helps to reduce the total amount of residual waste. This reduces the costs for waste disposal and helps ensure that the separately collected waste can be used as secondary raw materials, i.e., to manufacture new products. For example, new plastic bottles are made from plastic bottles, new paper can be made from waste paper, and new glass bottles are made from old glass. With the latter, it is essential to pay attention to the color sorting because as soon as stained glass ends up in the white glass container, this can reduce the quality of the recycled white glass, for example coloring the white glass. SM Custom Packaging offers eco friendly bath bomb packaging for a Wholesale bath bomb packaging bags and pouches.

Optimizing packaging and reducing it sustainably but how?

Leaving out packaging entirely is not easily possible with many foods and sometimes also makes little sense. It is, therefore, all the more critical to properly separate waste and thus support the recycling cycle in the long term. In addition, there is always room for improvement in the packaging itself.

The following things characterize good packaging

• It is made from sustainable materials.

• It is well thought out and tailored to the respective product (for example, material and size).

• It is food safe.

• It is recyclable and does not contain any unnecessary additional materials.

For example, iglo breaded fish is packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes. With this packaging variant and its breading, the igloo fish remains as well protected as possible on the way from the deep freeze warehouse to the supermarket to your kitchen. On the other hand, the natural fillets require a little more packaging, as the fish fillets are prone to freezer burn and dehydration. Therefore, to protect the fillets as best as possible and deliver the best possible quality to the consumer, the igloo fish fillets are packed either in a bag or individually in a protective plastic film.

In addition, packaging should be logistically sensible, i.e., it should take up as little space as possible but protect the product for safe transport from A to B. For example, much packaging is unnecessarily large and could be significantly smaller. This takes up less space during transport in the truck and the warehouse and ultimately leads to lower CO2 emissions because fewer truckloads are required to transport the same amount of product.

Many food manufacturers  like iglo try to keep their packaging as small as possible. However, it is not always that easy. Production conditions, such as specific machines, often limit the choice of possible packaging.

How can you make your contribution to recycling?

The most important thing is to avoid as much plastic waste as possible in any packaging. Not only should the packaging itself be designed to be as sustainable and recyclable as possible, but consumers can also make their contribution to a functioning recycling system. After all, even the most sustainable packaging is of no use if it ends up in the wrong garbage can.

Particular rubbish correctly: This means that foils, metals, plastic, leftover food, and other residual waste must always be disposed of separately from one another. Packaging such as boxes made of paper belongs in the paper bin, for example. But be careful: Sometimes there are foils or the like on the paper packaging. These must be removed beforehand and disposed of separately. Likewise, used paper handkerchiefs or serviettes do not belong in the paper but the residual waste.

Dispose of garbage compactly: So that the waste takes up as little space as possible, it is essential to make it a little smaller before disposal. Large cardboard boxes, for example, can be easily divided into flat squares so that they are easy to stack. Plastic bottles and SM Custom Packaging can be flattened perfectly.

Reduce single use waste: To go products are a quick solution for on the go. In many cases, however, you can avoid the plastic waste that this creates. For example, if you always buy your takeaway coffee in your favorite café in the morning, you can have it filled into the thermal mug you brought with you. Many cafes even give a small discount for this. Reusables instead of plastic bottles are an environmentally friendly alternative for water and other cold drinks. Meal prepping is also a great alternative to prepackaged salads from the supermarket. Here you prepare the meals for the next few days once a week. On the one hand, this saves money on the other hand you can use all your favorite ingredients for cooking and preparing wholesome and nutritious meals. Tip: Frozen products can be ideally stored in your home freezer and portioned out for dinner prep.

Make transport “waste-free”: Once all the groceries have been bought, the following question remains on the way home how do I transport everything? Cloth bags are great for this. They are robust, washable, and can be reused countless times. In addition, reusable fabric nets are now replacing plastic bags so that fruit and vegetables arrive at home without unsightly bruises.

Recyclability of the packaging at iglo

In 2019 we at iglo used folding boxes made of cardboard for 82% of our packaging in USA. Each of these folding boxes is 100% recyclable. The plastic packaging only forms a small residual proportion. In total, 92% of our product packaging at iglo USA is recyclable. All of our consumer packaging’s should be recyclable by 2022. This should be made possible by new packaging materials especially those from renewable sources such as paper. We have set ourselves the goal of continuously reducing the environmental impact of the packaging we use. Check out our Window Gable Boxes selection in the SM Custom Packaging With their Custom printed Wholesale Window Gable packaging Boxes.