How to Use Folding Cartons to Promote Sustainability (5 Ways)

Last Updated on December 7, 2023 by Packoi Team

There’s another reason why carton packaging continues to be a favorite. It’s considered sustainable packaging. A folding carton is made of paperboard, which comes from a renewable source: trees.

With the right packaging design and materials, you can use your product packaging to promote sustainability.

In this article, you’ll specifically learn about folding cartons and why they’re the best packaging to promote a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.

3 Reasons to Create Sustainable Packaging

Sustainability continues to be a growing trend. Everywhere you turn, you’ll see multiple efforts by companies and individuals to promote a more eco-friendly way of life.

But if you look at the history of how this movement started, you’ll realize that people look at businesses as the main culprit. Business owners and manufacturers are blamed for the depletion of our natural resources and for producing toxic waste.

Over the years, businesses have made a conscious effort to practice sustainability. Many companies have applied for certification and overhauled their operations and processes to be more sustainable.

One of the ways that they’ve done this is by choosing more sustainable packaging. You can see from the growth of the folding carton market that a lot of companies have opted for more eco-friendly options.

If you haven’t done that yet, it’s time for you to get moving.

There are three reasons why you should consider using folding carton packaging for your products.

1. Consumer Preference

There are two ways sustainable packaging has many benefits.

First, it’ll help you attract new customers. Research shows that people choose to support companies that practice sustainability. So if you use sustainable packaging, like paper-based products, people will choose you over a competitor using single-use plastic.

Second, it’ll help build loyalty among current customers. People like to be associated with companies that they admire or share values with. If you show that you’re serious about helping the environment, they’ll choose to support you more. It’ll strengthen their loyalty to your brand.

Even if your customers aren’t eco-conscious, you can influence and encourage them toward sustainable practices. That’s how powerful your packaging is if you know how to use it correctly.

2. Competitive Growth

By using sustainable packaging, your business will also benefit because you’ll be staying competitive. If customers prefer to support sustainable companies, brand owners will take advantage of that.

They’ll want to show off their eco-friendly initiatives to impress customers.

If you don’t do something about that, your business will get left behind. People will choose your competitors over you.

Don’t let other businesses steal your customers. Use sustainable packaging to prove to your target market that you’re being eco-conscious in your business.

Follow folding carton styles and impress your customers with new designs. Show them that you can be creative and innovative in presenting your product to them without causing harm to the environment.

The more you make your product stand out while being eco-friendly, the more you’ll stay competitive. It can give you a powerful edge against other businesses in your niche.

3. Environmental Impact

This is probably the most important benefit of using sustainable packaging.

Your business can have a positive impact on the environment. Choosing sustainable practices like reducing plastic packaging lowers your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

The simple act of changing your packaging will create a ripple effect. If you switch from plastic to folding cartons, you’ll reduce the packaging waste that will overflow landfills.

You can also be careful with whom you choose to partner as a packaging supplier. Choose those who get their materials from responsibly managed forests. By supporting these businesses, you’re also indirectly helping forests, so they’re protected from exploitation and deforestation.

All these and more are possible when you choose to use folding cartons for your packaging.

5 Ways to Make Folding Carton Packaging Sustainable

The importance of switching to sustainable packaging is essential. In particular, choosing folding carton packaging will benefit you because it comes from a renewable source: trees.

But don’t get confused. Just because you’re using a paper-based material, that doesn’t automatically make you sustainable. You have to do things to maximize the potential of folding cartons to be eco-friendly packaging.

1. Choose the Right Paperboard Material

A folding carton is just one of the many options that you have when it comes to sustainable packaging materials.

This is made of paperboard, which is a product that comes from trees. Is there a way to make this more sustainable?

Yes, there is.

You can choose recyclable paperboard for your carton packaging. You see, paper can be recycled several times. It’s not infinite—just around 5–7 times. But that’s still so much better than single-use plastic.

For tips, here are five ways to ensure the sustainability of your chosen packaging.

By choosing recycled materials for your folding carton packaging, you’re keeping waste low, which will positively impact your carbon emissions.

2. Add Only Eco-Friendly Materials

If you want to be creative with your sustainable packaging, you won’t just use carton packaging. You’ll also need other materials to make the design of your folding carton visually appealing.

For instance, you might need to print on the surface of the carton packaging material. It could be a print of the brand or a pattern that your brand typically uses.

Or you can add ribbons, stickers, or labels.

You can add anything you like, as long as these are sustainable materials. If you want to print something on the packaging, don’t use petroleum-based ink. Use soy-based ink instead.

For any labels, use eco-friendly adhesive as well. Any customized ribbons or tapes should be eco-friendly, too.

This will ensure that your packaging is 100% sustainable.

3. Make It Reusable or Renewable

Here’s one way to level up your sustainable packaging.

Instead of just making your folding carton packaging recyclable, make it reusable or renewable. For instance, design the box packaging so it can be reused as a storage box. Or it could be repurposed as a stand that’ll help the customer use the product.

Or include instructions on transforming the box into a decorative piece at home.

There are many ways to keep your packaging from being trashed immediately. If you can prevent it from being recycled, you can help the world achieve zero waste.

4. Use It to Educate Customers

You can use your sustainable packaging to educate your customers so they can start living more eco-friendly lives.

You can do this in different ways.

One way is to print instructions on the carton packaging to dispose of the material properly. That way, customers won’t mix it with other materials in the bin. It’ll ensure that the carton material won’t be contaminated, so it has a higher chance of being recycled.

You can also encourage consumers to start sustainability initiatives. Provide a link where the customer can read articles about how your brand is practicing sustainability. Include tips on how they can implement the same initiatives in their homes.

This is a powerful and direct way to influence your market to be more environmentally friendly.

5. Partner with Certified Companies

If you want to make a difference through your sustainable packaging, get it from the right source. Unfortunately, some businesses claim to be “green,” but they’re not.

So to ensure that your carton packaging is sustainable, look for a packaging supplier that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This is an organization that focuses on sustainable forestry initiatives.

An FSC-certified company only gets its materials from responsibly managed forests. These are forests that are protected from exploitation and deforestation. Not only that, but the manufacturing process that they follow is also approved by the FSC.

Partnering with these types of companies will give you access to materials that can support your eco-friendly efforts.

Create a Sustainable Folding Carton Packaging. Packoi Printing Is FSC-Certified and Ready to Help.

Your folding carton packaging is one of the different ways that you can build a reputation as a sustainable brand. More than that, it is a powerful tool that you can use to influence your customers to be more eco-friendly in their lives as well.

If you want to find out how you can start using sustainable packaging in your business, Packoi Printing is here to assist. We are certified by the FSC, so you can trust that our folding carton materials are only sourced from responsibly managed forests.

Do you want to know more about that?

Give us a call. Let’s discuss your plans so we can get back to you with a fair quote.