How To Encourage Customers to Recycle Your Packaging

Well-packaged items ensure that customers are drawn to purchase them. Packaging is the selling point that delivers a sense of quality while reflecting the brand image. No matter if people receive their items via the Internet or in a brick-and-mortar store, the packaging design does wonders for the bottom line. You always want to stand out in a crowd. If your product has good packaging, you can make a name for yourself in business. Products that don’t fit into moulds are unique, and that should be reflected in the packaging. 

Unfortunately, packaging comes with a number of disadvantages. The amount of packaging that’s left behind represents a threat to the environment. Simply put, packaging gives way to a rubbish problem that now affects every corner of the world. Much of the waste is taken to landfill sites, especially when made from cardboard and plastic. Because plastic isn’t biodegradable, every piece of plastic ever made remains on the planet. More waste, recyclable or not, translates into bigger rubbish trucks. Let’s not even talk about the continual collections, which require more fuel. 

Ideally, waste should be eliminated in protective packaging and packaging supplies. With 2025 around the corner, Australia has set ambitious targets for the creation of a circular economy. If both the industry and consumers are on board, the targets may actually be achievable. Progress tends to be slower in Australia. While officials have been slow to react, the business community seems to be willing to begin the transition and address the significant environmental issues we’re currently facing.  

Launch Practical Initiatives to Encourage the Recycling of Your Packages 

The challenge for any retailer is to strike a balance between providing necessary packaging and minimising waste. Ideally, businesses should move away from single-use cardboard and plastic and adopt packaging that can be recycled and reused. Amazon, for example, has asked suppliers to rethink packaging efforts for supply chain reform. Getting consumers to recycle more is challenging, as they find it difficult to connect individual actions to waste problems. They’re not sure what happens or if their actions make a difference. This is precisely why motivation matters. 

Even if your company deploys sustainable packaging, your job is only partially completed if you don’t get people to recycle or reuse your packaging. It’s necessary to activate intrinsic motivation to shift consumer behaviour to become more sustainable. People must feel encouraged, and the best motivations are personal benefits, like economic rewards or social connections. It’s up to you to make a cultural change in the population at large so that recycling becomes intrinsic. If you don’t know how to do that, here are a few suggestions. 

Purchase A Couple of Recycling Bins and Place Them Strategically in Your Store

Returning packaging directly to stores is one possibility. This minimises the workload on your staff and guarantees the collected items aren’t contaminated with non-recyclables. Customers can drop off unwanted items in strategically placed bins. Some of the best places to put recycling bins are in parking lots, close to vending machines, and near the front door. The aim is to enhance packaging collection and recycling rates, besides reducing the needless waste to the landfills. Regular messages that treat recycling as the normal thing to do can drive customer action. 

To reduce the waste volume in your store, you can use a baler for compaction. According to the experts at, the perfect location for the waste management solution is where the baler can be manoeuvred properly. For instance, it can be installed in the backroom. A waste baler is so efficient that employees have more time to talk to customers, take care of stock, and perform other duties. Attention must be paid to the fact that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution as far as machines in Australia are concerned. What works in one store might not work in another one. 

Don’t Just Recycle. Think About Sustainability 

If your packaging isn’t already designed sustainably, you must revisit your company’s packaging. Paper and corrugated fibreboard are the best examples in terms of packaging materials. Paper is more biodegradable as compared to other materials, and it’s relatively easy to recycle. The process of transforming old paper into new paper might seem complex, but it’s pretty straightforward. Paper can be re-pulped without the use of chemicals, so it can be reused up to 7 times. Plus, paper makes a product more attractive. 

Corrugated fibreboard is a good option for any company committed to reducing its carbon footprint. It’s possible to change the board type, the adhesive used, and the flute size. Corrugated fibreboard is very strong, meaning that it can protect fragile items while in shipment. Customers are more likely to spend their money on sustainable brands. Roughly 80% of Australian consumers think that commitment to sustainability adds value to a brand. As eco-friendly packaging becomes more popular, vendors now provide them at competitive rates. So, you can reduce expenses and improve profitability. 

Share Your Findings with Others to Promote Sustainability 

Finally, yet importantly, consider sharing your achievements and challenges to help other businesses. Sustainability has become a focus in everyday life, so it should play a big part in our professional lives. Collaboration can be a win-win for all parties involved. It drives entrepreneurs to do better and achieve more. Forming partnerships and relationships with other businesses leads to finding inspiration. You get to know others and understand how they do things differently. In a culture obsessed with competition, we often neglect the important role of inspiration. 

Much of the things we need to be successful aren’t learned via training or personal experience but from others’ experiences. You have lots of knowledge that’s essential for others. Sharing knowledge will help others become stronger professionals. Share your experience with people across your industry and tap into valuable information from elsewhere. Even if you’re not an expert in the field of sustainability, you can provide constructive feedback. Be ready to help people and the planet. Don’t hesitate to show the world how you deal with packaging waste. Share to benefit your connections.