Can you Get Plastic-free Void Fillers?
Packaging Solutions that Protect Goods & the Planet
You want your goods to arrive in pristine condition. To achieve this, your team probably pack void fillers inside the shipping boxes to protect the contents. Unfortunately, many void fillers are made from plastic. This contributes to environmental destruction, so, is there an alternative? Can you get plastic-free void fillers?
Ditching Plastic Packaging
UK households dispose of an average of 66 items of plastic packaging each week. As a nation, that equates to 100billion items a year. The current recycling rate is 44.2%, but the volume that is recycled is just 12%*. This issue is replicated around the globe, creating more waste than can be processed. The result is having a devastating effect on natural habitats and lives.
The only long-term solution is to ditch plastic packaging and find alternative solutions. Fortunately, new packaging innovations are entering the market.
Your customers are looking to you and other manufacturers and retailers to adopt these and help them to reduce their waste. They know plastic packaging washes up on their favourite beach and is littering the countryside. They’ve seen the images of turtles, seals, birds and other wildlife being tangled up in plastic waste. They are seeking out companies that are making a difference, is yours?
Responding to consumer demand is one reason why you may be looking for alternatives to plastic void fillers. In addition, you may want to enhance your brand reputation and minimise the plastic tax levy. Fortunately, Barton Jones has found a solution: PaperWave.
PaperWave Air Cushion Packaging
PaperWave Air Cushion packaging is an innovation developed by German company FLOETER to replace plastic bubble wrap or air pockets.
This FSC® Certified (C162510) product is made from 100% recycled paper and sealed with thin strips of potato starch. A completely plastic-free packaging solution, it has been tested and certified for recyclability and can be disposed of in household recycling bins. It will also biodegrade in your home compost. What an ideal way to protect goods, whilst also protecting the planet!
At Barton Jones, we take pride in getting “your packaging requirements all wrapped up”. We want to be the ‘one-stop shop’ where you can get exactly what you need. For this reason, we are delighted to be adding PaperWave to our product range from the start of 2023.
It isn’t just us that sees this as an innovative and eco-packaging solution. In August, PaperWave was a winner in the sustainability category at the German Packaging Awards 2022, an event organised by the Deutsches Verpackung Institut.
Paper Isn’t the Only Sustainable Packaging Solution
PaperWave is a practical and sustainable void fill, but it isn’t the only option that we’ll be adding to our range. FLOETER has also developed air cushions from potato starch and climate-neutral film.
BioAir looks and feels like it is formed from thin plastic, however, it is made from potato starch. As a natural material, this will biodegrade in your home compost bin. It will leave no nano-plastic residue in the soil and will simply break down and disappear.
In some applications, plastic may be unavoidable. If this is the case, ClimaFilm could be the answer. Made from either 50% or 100% recycled plastic waste, FLOETER has worked hard to calculate and minimise CO2 emissions. Any that are unavoidable are offset by contributions to climate protection projects in Brazil.
Make Packaging Part of your Sustainability Measures
Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Veolia shows that British retailers and manufacturers are embracing rethinking plastic packaging. They found that:
- 66% of businesses have removed unnecessary plastic packaging
- 54% had altered plastic packaging design to improve recyclability
- 58% were now using recycled plastic in their packaging
- 3% had switched to alternative materials
These are positive moves, yet neither reducing nor recycling plastic is as sustainable as replacing it with biodegradable packaging materials.
We encourage you to try PaperWave or BioAir void fill and see if it provides adequate protection when you pack and ship your products. We believe it is a viable alternative to plastic and we are sure that your customers will notice that your company is embracing sustainable solutions.
Packaging is necessary for protecting goods from damage, keeping consumables fresh and maintaining hygiene and quality. A shift in design or materials shouldn’t compromise this, but it can heighten sustainability. That’s good for business and good for the planet.
