though eco friendly packaging is necessary to reduce the impact on the environment, it is equally important to choose the right way of packaging that will safeguard the product during transportation. this article will help businessmen to practice eco friendly program without harming the business.many businessmen think that to be as ecofriendly as possible, they need to use only natural materials and reduce on their packaging. however, packaging researchers and experts mention sustainable packaging decisions aren&39t so easy and can&rsquot be black and white. joan pierce is an executive director at the american institute for packaging and the environment ameripen, which is a wakefield mass.based advocacy association for eco friendly packaging issues. joan says that no one can claim that one material is better than another. a businessman has to choose the material which is right for his product. joan further mentioned that instead of just concentrating on researching the newest sustainable material for small scale business owners, it would be wiser to think that how they can modify their packaging process in order to reduce both the risk of product damage and environmental impact. according to joan, finding out the appropriate kind of packaging is not a onetime effort. instead, a businessman needs to focus on continuous improvement. if a businessman does that, joan says, he is going to be way ahead. here is a list of important things that a businessman should know about sustainable packaging to help make the best decision for the business reducing packaging illogically can harm more than good. according to jeff wooster, minimizing the quantity of corrugated board while packaging a product might seem environmental friendly, but reducing too much on packaging could lead to damage the product during transportation. jeff wooster is global sustainability leader at midland, which is a mich.based dow chemical co. jeff further mention that a damaged product means wasted money, and of course, it also represents wasted natural resources and energy. furthermore, the damaged product means waste in a landfill, polluting the soil and creating other environmental issues. wooster says that there is a need to think about product protection as a part of sustainability, and if the product is wasted, it is more harm than good. usually, recycled materials are not as durable as nonrecycled ones. after going through a recycling process, a material is normally less durable than the one which has not gone through a recycling process, says sterling anthony, who is logistics and packaging consultant based in detroit. he further explains with an example of paper. every time, paper&rsquos fibers are shortened, whenever it is recycled. this makes it structurally weaker as compared to nonrecycled paper. hence, using corrugated board made of recycled paper may seem like an environmental alternative, but it may not protect your goods during transportation effectively. according to anthony, if a board contains a higher percentage of the recycled material, it will be weaker to protect the goods. furthermore, maintaining quality consistency when using packaging that is made from a recycled material can be difficult. for instance, even if, you have two corrugated boards with the same quantity of recycled content, they may perform differently. this could happen because one board could be made of using old newsprint, whereas the other is made up of a sturdier paper product. however, this does not mean that we should stop using recycled materials. instead, we need to take care that we just don&39t jump into it. a businessman can start using corrugated board that is made up of, say, 10 percent recycled paper. if this board seems capable enough to safeguard the product, it is possible to increase the amount of recycled content gradually. the truth is paper is not always a good alternative for plastic. people generally think that because paper is more biodegradable and natural than plastic, it is a better option when trying to create sustainable packaging. however, in reality, it may not be so. apart from just how natural a product is, sustainability takes into account a lot of other things. when we talk about sustainability, we also need to consider the amount of energy and other resources required to produce it. for instance, wooster says, the process for producing a paper shopping bag releases more greenhouse gases and requires more water and energy compared to the process for a standard plastic bag. in addition to that, the choice between plastic and paper packaging will depend on the kind of goods being transported. for example, wooster says, a digital picture frame, which could be easily crushed, would require to be encased in corrugated board with foam padding around it. however, if the cases of bottled beverages are needed to be shipped, it doesn&39t require that level of protection. it is a wiser choice to bundle the bottles with plastic shrink film that will enable to utilize less material and cut down the package weight. this way, even if the plastic is used in packaging, a businessman is being as efficient with materials and energy as possible. source of information httpwww.nbcnews.comid50683117nsbusinesssmallbusiness
