Intended to protect not only the product, but also the product’s primary packaging, secondary packaging can include cardboard boxes, cartons and crates. Although it’s no secret that secondary packaging can a concerning factor affecting the health of our environment, a green-focused customer can make positive changes. It’s more important than ever for businesses today to reduce secondary packaging waste and become more eco-friendly.
What exactly is secondary packaging?
Secondary packaging is the extra packaging within the box that stores the item being shipped. While it’s already in a box being shipped, a secondary box or packaging is truly unnecessary in most cases. This ultimately leads to a huge waste problem, as a lot of secondary packaging types aren’t as biodegradable as they can (and should) be, although, some pieces are easily recyclable. However, recycling doesn’t reduce the amount of waste and money spent on this filler packaging.
Secondary Packaging for Retail
Primary packaging products are the types of secondary packaging for retail applications. They involve direct contact with the item that’s being sent out. The item makeup could be anything from a glass or plastic bottle to a paperboard packaging. Secondary packaging can also be cardboard, packing paper, bio loose fill, bubble-wrap, or air bags.
Secondary packaging helps fill the box and get the product to their destination point, but it typically isn’t kept or reused by the receiver or even at a store level. Secondary packaging is immediately discarded because it serves no other purpose besides being in the box during shipment. Secondary packaging is usually composed of void material that acts as filler, along with tape and the boxes themselves.
Decreasing Waste
One way to reduce waste and save money is by using the appropriate sized packaging. As DIM weight charges have increased shipping costs, businesses need to manage the demands of e-commerce fulfillment by selecting the most appropriate shipping box to reduce shipping rates. In addition, by strategically stocking up on the right sized secondary packaging, shippers can help combat costs.
The three most important aspects of a company are quality, performance, and image. Without these aspects, customers are lost and a company is non-functional. When smaller businesses start out green or eco-friendly, their image can make them rise to the forefront. E-commerce continues to grow every day as consumers demand more than what brick-and-mortar stores can provide so it’s important for packing and shipping companies to adapt.
Eco-Friendly Secondary Packaging from Hughes
Your packaging is everything through aesthetics and purpose. By incorporating eco-friendly products, a company can appease both the growing number of environmentally conscious customers while continuing to offer efficient packaging services. Hughes offers a specific solution to combat dimensional weight pricing by creating efficient customized packaging– adjusting for elements such as dimensions and weight – and we create corrugated boxes custom sized to fit your product.
If you would like to learn more about the shipping and packaging equipment we provide for our customers, contact your Hughes sales representative today.