From reducing waste to lowering carbon footprints, many businesses have environmental responsibility among their top priorities. To help achieve sustainability goals, these companies are on the lookout for eco-friendly packaging solutions. However, with “green packaging” claims flooding the market, it can be difficult to separate the genuinely sustainable options from hollow marketing claims. 

Below, we’re spotlighting “greenwashing” and underlining the importance of working with a packaging supplier that makes its product content and recyclability certifications available to the public. After all, you want to trust what you’re buying while providing your customers with shipping materials that honor your company’s commitments to sustainability. 

The Rise of Greenwashing 

According to research, 70% of consumers consider a product’s environmental friendliness, which now includes its journey to the end buyer. But somewhere along the way, greenwashing entered the chat. 

If you haven’t heard of it, greenwashing is a deceptive marketing technique some companies use to make their products, services, or even their entire business seem more eco-friendly or sustainable. In practice, this can manifest as exaggerated benefits, omitted inconvenient details, or outright lies about a product’s environmental impact. 

The term “greenwashing” originated in the 1980s when environmentalist Jay Westervelt stayed at a hotel that was guilting customers into reusing towels for “eco-friendly reasons.” In reality, the hotel was trying to save on laundry costs. Over time, many other organizations (such as petroleum, airline, or beverage companies) have run campaigns placing the work of “doing the right thing” on the consumer. All the while, they are obscuring that they are actually the ones largely responsible for contributing to pollution and other non-eco-friendly practices.

Greenwashing in Packaging 

As a business, there are many reasons to choose shipping materials like mailers that are made with certified recycled content: reducing raw material consumption, enhancing your brand’s image, and building trust and loyalty, to name a few. In short, it’s good for business. 

In the packaging industry, greenwashing often takes the shape of labels like “biodegradable” or “compostable.” However, those designations can be misleading, proper disposal can be tricky, and certification requirements vary from state to state — “biodegradable” has been called out as being “a confusing and imprecise term.”  Additionally, if certified compostable packaging is not appropriately collected and processed into compost after it’s used, more waste is created. 

When brands use greenwashing buzzwords, it gives consumers a false sense of contributing to environmental preservation. We all know that trust can be difficult to regain once lost, especially in today’s increasingly connected online world, where consumer skepticism and the demand for transparency are growing.  

4 Reasons Publicly Accessible Certifications are Essential 

If your business wants to support sustainability —rather than just talk about it — using a packaging supplier that publicly shares verifiable certifications should be a non-arguable. 

Here are four reasons why: 

Accountability and credibility 

Packaging suppliers that publish their recyclability or recycled content certifications hold themselves accountable and demonstrate that they have nothing to hide. In other words, a company gains a layer of credibility if they are open and willing to verify claims through a third party. 

Empowering more informed decision-making 

When packaging suppliers openly share certifications, more businesses can access the info they need to make sustainable choices. Detailed disclosures about recycled content, chemical composition, and disposal methods let you compare different packaging options. Access to certifications helps you make selections that align with your environmental values and operational needs to ensure that your “green” investments are going where they can do real good. 

Building trust through transparency 

Today’s consumers know how to Google and look for companies that back up sustainability claims with evidence. So, when you partner with a supplier with certifications that are publicly available, you can now provide your customers with tangible proof of your packaging’s eco-friendly qualities.   

Future-proofing your business 

As governments worldwide introduce stricter regulations on packaging waste and recycling, publicly available certifications are a proactive way to help achieve compliance with emerging rules. A supplier regularly updating and maintaining recognized certifications is likely more proactive in meeting current and future environmental standards. 

The good news? Businesses that want to reduce environmental impact can align with a vendor that’s transparent about their certifications. Not only is it a good way to build a partnership, but it’s also a great way to combat greenwashing.  

How to Verify Your Packaging Vendor 

If you want to partner with a packaging supplier that is committed to offering sustainable solutions, here are a few actions you can take: 

  • Look for third-party certifications. For example, our fully curbside recyclable Ecojacket, is “Certified recyclable and repulpable by Fiber Box Association (FBA).”  
  • Visit the supplier’s website to see if they regularly update and publish their certification statuses, test results, or annual sustainability reports. 
  • Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask about the percentage of recycled content, recyclability rates, and guidelines for disposal.  

Choose a packaging supplier that publicly shares all of its product recyclability and recycled content certification and stand behind your sustainable packaging claims, build trust with your customers, and help avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing. 

Ready to partner with a vendor who can support your commitment to a more sustainable future? Contact the team at PAC Worldwide. We’ll help you find the perfect packaging solution for your business.