Despite Perception, Sustainable Packaging Saves Money

Critics of sustainable packaging point to higher cost as a reason for companies to avoid its adoption.

Yet companies employing sustainable packaging report cost savings, according to an IndustryWeek article.

The most common path toward savings is by reducing packaging waste. Indeed, 76% of companies’ sustainability efforts related to reducing packaging waste, according to a recent study by AMR Research.

According to a 2007 survey by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and Packaging Digest magazine, 73% of 1,255 respondents involved in packaging stated that their companies were emphasizing sustainable packaging. In doing so, companies aimed to minimizing their carbon footprint through initiatives related to transportation, alternative fuels, and sustainable packaging.

Increasingly, companies are looking for ways to reduce packaging, including cutting clamshell plastic packaging.

Computer maker Dell aims to reduce its packaging by 20 million pounds.