As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency. One area you may not have considered is your food packaging. Switching to paper food packaging can provide several benefits for your business, including reducing your carbon footprint, saving money, and improving your customer experience.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the benefits of paper food packaging and how it can help your business.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Our environment is in danger. Thanks to global warming and ozone depletion, our world is experiencing changes that many of us are deeply concerned about. And while we can do our part to reduce our CO2 emissions and greenhouse gas contributions by using green energy and recycling whenever possible, it’s important to consider how our food packaging can contribute to a better environment.
It is especially true regarding plastic food packaging, which ends up in landfills, leaks harmful chemicals into the ground and our water supply, and takes hundreds of years to break down. More than half of the world’s landfills are filled with plastic. Instead of plastic, choose paper food packaging. Paper is highly recyclable and leaves a smaller footprint once disposed of in the landfill.
Improve the experience of your customers and employees
As a business owner, you want to make your customers happy. After all, they’re the ones who will recommend your business to others or come back to you again in the future. And there are some ways you can improve customer satisfaction through your food packaging, including:
- Giving customers a sneak peek at the inside of your business. Create a unique experience for your customers by showing them what your business is like on the inside through your food packaging. Stick a postcard or thermal stickers into your sandwich wrap or include an invitation to a free trial of your product in your chip bags. This way, customers have something to take with them after their visit to your business and you have the opportunity to communicate how great you are, how fresh and delicious your food is, and more.
- Enhance the experience of eating for customers with food allergies. There are over 200 million people in the world with food allergies, a number that is steadily growing. Make it easier for these customers to eat and enjoy your food by including allergen information on your food packaging. This is also a great way to market your business to those with food allergies, a growing population.
- Increase the satisfaction of employee meals. Those midday meals your employees grab on the go are probably pretty decent — after all, you want to make sure their lunch is satisfying so they have enough energy to keep working hard for you. But there are definitely ways to improve that experience. Make sure your employees have access to allergen information and transparency regarding how your products are made, packaged, and delivered. Including a surprise reward in their lunch bag one day (like a coupon, game ticket, or free trial) is also a great way to make your employees feel awesome.
Accessibility
Paper food packaging is accessible to most people. Whether or not a customer has arthritis or other disabilities, they should have no problems opening up a paper food package. Furthermore, since most paper food packages are foldable, they’re easily portable once opened. It is great for customers who want to take their food to go or leave a restaurant with their leftovers in hand. Brown kraft paper bowls, in particular, are great accessibility tools since the material is so thick and is easy to transport. It is most used to carry salads and soup.
Costs
While plastic food packaging is often perceived as more durable (and therefore, worth the money), the actual cost of making your paper food packages vs buying plastic food packages can drastically cut the cost of starting your business. While plastic food packaging can range from $0.15 to $0.40 per unit, you can make 100 paper food packages for that same price. Over the long run, this will save you thousands of dollars.
Plus, there are government and industry incentives to lower the cost of making your food packaging.
Longevity
Plastic food packaging is known to break down quickly, especially if it’s exposed to heat or cold. On the other hand, paper food packages can last anywhere from one day to a few years, depending on the material used. And once they’re broken down into compost, they’ll decompose quickly.
Environmentally friendly
As mentioned above, plastic is broken down into microplastics when it enters our soil and water supply. It leads to more plastic in our environment and our food. Meanwhile, paper is 100% compostable and becomes bio-dynamic once broken down. Paper food packaging is much more environmentally friendly than plastic when looking at the bigger picture.
Protection
While plastic may provide a better barrier against moisture and stains, paper food packages provide a barrier against those elements (as well as heat and cold) quite well. It makes them great for transporting leftovers and ensures they retain their original taste, appearance and texture.
Unique branding opportunity
Since paper food packages are so customizable, they make your brand stand out from the rest. You can use full-color printing or add stamped designs to make your food packages or customized boxes unique.
Easy storage
Because they’re so thin (usually less than 1 millimeter), they stack easily and take up very little storage space. It makes it easy to stash away leftovers in your fridge or pantry until you’re ready to use them.
Protects delicate foods
You know that plastic wrap can sometimes scrape against foods, especially if you have to unwrap it quickly. On top of that, plastic often traps air around the food, giving items a weird spongy texture. Paper food packages, however, protect fragile items without compromising taste or texture.
Stops splatters & spills
If you’re transporting anything that normally would spill or splatter (think tomato sauce or BBQ sauce), a paper food package with aluminum foil inside can prevent that mess. The package will stop the splatters, and the seams can be sealed to ensure nothing leaks.
It’s eco-friendly, affordable, and protects and promotes your brand. What’s not to love?
Everyone can benefit from paper food packages, from home-based businesses to professional companies, in certain situations. Remember to keep them in mind the next time you’re doing food packaging for your business.
