How to Sell Packaging Sustainability

Your organization may be invested in sustainable packaging: but is everyone else? What about your clients, your supplier or other organizations you work with? 

The key is tailoring the value of sustainability with messaging that will resonate with each audience. Our friends at Pregis have some tips for helping your clients prioritize sustainability.

Know Your Buyer

First, it’s important to know your buyer. This can be in the literal sense of the consumer purchasing a product, but in this case we mean “buyer” as in “the person at another company you’re working with.” 

Understanding who you’re speaking to will help you identify the right messaging to use. Consider this person’s role and goals. For the purposes of this blog, we’re assuming you’re speaking to an audience that’s not committed to sustainability - yet. 

This isn’t designed to help you market your product to an end consumer who values sustainability and will choose one product over the other for perceived environmental benefits. The good news is you already have your foot in the door with that person. 

Where there’s work to be done is with those who aren’t convinced sustainability is worth the perceived cost associated with choosing a sustainable packaging alternative. This is your suppliers, your partners or other organizations you work with.

Use the Right Messaging

Once you know who you’re speaking to, you can tailor your message according to the value most likely to resonate with them. There are a few different ways to approach this.

Value: Maximize Efficiency

Most beneficial for: Operations

Damage during the shipping or production process triggers returns and the reverse logistics process. For an operation manager, this adds additional processing and shipping time that reduces their productivity. Emphasise to this audience how choosing the right packaging material the first time improves sustainability and reduces damage to products.

Related Content: How Protective Packaging Improves Reverse Logistics

Value: The Bottom Line

Most beneficial for: Finance and Purchasing

Finance is all about the numbers - so lay it out for them. Choosing the right packaging the first time can reduce cost during transit and reduce returns. We have two case studies that help illustrate this:

Case Study: Reusable Tote for Aerospace Client

Case Study: Ship in Own Container vs. Box in a Box

Related Content: How Does Profitability Go Hand in Hand With Sustainability?

Value: Marketing

Most beneficial for: Brand Owner or Marketing Manager

Marketing managers and brand owners are more concerned with their brand’s reputation and industry trends. For them, frame sustainability as a value-add for their brand and business. We have a prewritten message you can share with your customers that they can use to inform their customers:

Educate end users - Include this notice with your customers’ invoices and/or shipping emails:

Please help us (and the environment) by recycling the foam pieces that came with your package whenever possible. To find out if your county accepts packaging foam in curbside recycling, use this interactive map: Find Where to Recycle Foam. Thank you!

Additionally, marketing managers will care about eliminating damaged products and the negative reviews and customer experiences that come along. You can emphasize that by choosing the right packaging, they reduce damages.

Related Content: Can Packing Foam Be Recycled?

When it Comes to Sustainability, We’re Shredding it 

Packaging foam has a lot of untapped and underutilized potential when it comes to sustainability. While end user recycling adoption is not at the same level as paper or metal (yet!) – picking packaging foam drastically reduces damaged products, which in turn reduces environmental impact and strain. This makes foam an excellent choice to meet your sustainability requirements.

Want to learn more?

Contact a Packaging Expert

Foam Industries is a custom protective packaging company specializing in foam – with additional wood and plastic fabrication services. Our custom foam fabrication services are ideal for any type of packaging, display, or support service needed – from design to finished product.