Throughout the last few years a revolution has been taking place in our supermarkets, corner shops, gift shops and just about anywhere else that sells products in packaging. Due to overwhelming pressure from consumers and government initiatives, manufacturers are finally getting the message that less is definitely more when it comes to the packaging that surrounds the products that we buy.
Environmental issues have been moved from the back burner and are now firmly in the minds of customers and the people in power; which has brought about progressive but welcomed changes. Thanks to a few years of extreme weather and the coldest winter in over fifty years; a new breed of responsible consumers can now be found roaming the isles of your local store.
A Packet Of Problems -
Although a large amount of what makes up our landfill sites is packaging; around 18% of it is food wastage. This leaves manufacturers with the problem of trying to strike a balance between reduced packaging and still keeping the produce in a sellable condition for as long as possible. In the past products have been sealed in whatever material keeps it consumable for the longest time but responsibility has fallen on manufacturers to change this.
A Healthy Relationship -
Although more and more consumers are calling for packaging to be reduced and their moral obligations have changed to ones which would have them buy the reduced packaging products; this is only the case when the price is the same or lower. This then creates pressure on the manufacturers to improve their relationship with the consumers that buy their products by ensuring that the price of items don't go up as packaging goes down.
If manufacturers don't work hard to reduce the price of sustainably packaged goods or consumers don't take it upon themselves to spend that little bit extra to help with a wider issue, then initiatives like this aren't likely to develop as quickly as we need them to.
A New Age Of Packaging -
Responsible producers have been working hard on new ways to package their products and are proud to display this on their goods and their websites. And it is has now become a great marketing tool to display how environmentally conscious you are as a company. The main things that have changed involve finding more recyclable materials to use in the packaging as well as using those that have already been recycled, again.
It hasn't gone unnoticed either that large amounts of unnecessary packaging has been removed from our shelves. It has often made many a mind boggle why there is so much packaging inside other packaging, but that does seem to be changing. Some tin companies have even developed their own unique innovative packaging that actually reduces carbon emissions and are endlessly recyclable. Check out this Pressitin for example.
The fact remains that reduced packaging has been a long time coming and has been slow in development, but with increased consumer/manufacturer relationships, more innovative ideas and new government initiatives; the responsible revolution is set to keep on rolling.