How to Make Your Parcels Eco-Friendly (and Save Money While Doing So!)

An increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on the importance of being eco-friendly. From how we get ourselves from A to B to the products we use around the home, many of us are searching for ways to make our everyday tasks as environmentally-friendly as possible.

And as online deliveries continue to take over, how can we ensure our packaging is meeting our discerning ‘green’ standards?

Whether you’re sending a parcel abroad to a loved one or you’re sending bulk orders to your customers, here are some top tips on how to make these parcels as eco-friendly as possible:

Start with the Packaging Itself

First, you need to think about how you’re packaging each item, including what packaging you’re putting in the box.
While you may put polystyrene in the box to protect the item from damage, you’re only succeeding in damaging the environment in the process.
Instead, try swapping out these materials for air pockets and biodegradable materials.

This not only adds an eco-friendly element to your packaging but ensures the packaging can be reused again in the future – thus lowering the amount of waste and money spent.

A Fedex delivery van

Send in Bulk

If you send a lot of parcels, it’s important to look at where you can reduce the amount of parcels you’re sending. Could you put more than one item in a larger box, for example?

This won’t just save money on your shipping costs but also reduces how much fuel is needed to get your parcel to its destination. Plus, if you can keep the parcels as compact as possible, this means more items can be placed on the van for delivery.

Recycle as Much as Possible

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that reusing packaging and boxes is a great way to do your bit for the environment. It means fewer cardboard boxes are being unnecessarily used. You can just reinforce pre-used boxes with tape to make them stronger for transit.

Used cardboard boxes

Also, consider how you can perhaps reuse boxes that local shops will throw out. Supermarkets often have fruit boxes that you can cut up to use for your packaging, for example. And again, you won’t just be reducing waste but saving yourself money because you won’t have to buy packaging!

Keep Parcel Sizes to a Minimum

When you go to send a parcel, the size of it has an effect on how much you’re going to pay.

For example, Parcel2Go offers a quoting service that takes the weight and size of your item to give you a delivery estimate. You might just be surprised how much you can save by reducing your parcel sizes, even if it’s only by a small amount.

The size of your parcel also determines how much of an impact it will have on the environment.

How?

As we’ve already seen, the size of your parcel may increase how many trips the courier needs to make (they can’t get as many parcels onto their van), which adds more pollution into the environment.

So try restricting your packaging, making sure your goods are safely secured inside but aren’t in boxes that are too big. In fact, when you box up your package excessively, it’s highly unlikely it’ll add any more protection. An item is better secured safely in a box that’s just big enough so it can’t move around during transit.

Ultimately, as we continue to rely more heavily on parcel deliveries, it’s clear we need to start finding ways to reduce the impact of these deliveries on the environment. Plus, in so doing this, you’ll probably have more money in your pocket as well! Win, win!

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