Don’t let excess packaging pile on the £££s this Christmas
With rubbish and recycling bins set to burst at the seams this Christmas under an estimated three million tonnes of waste*, sustainable business experts Envirowise are urging businesses to trim ‘wastelines’ by cutting back on unnecessary packaging and explore eco-design options.
Increasing pressure and the need to reduce operational costs in the current economic climate, Government targets to reduce, recover and recycle waste and growing consumer demand for more sustainable business practices are fuelling the need for industry to explore greener packaging options, according to Envirowise cleaner design specialist Jenni Rosser.
The key to reducing the packaging mountain, say Envirowise, is to build the expertise of those involved in packaging and product design, so that they are able to improve the sustainability of their designs, optimise materials and costs and make the right decisions for their business.
Jenni Rosser comments: “Packaging has been challenged on environmental grounds for a number of years and the industry has responded, not only by putting significant resources into recycling schemes, but also by continuing to reduce the use of resources in packaging.
“However, there is always room for improvement and, particularly in today’s economic climate, businesses stand to benefit not only in environmental but financial terms, by looking at how they can reduce unnecessary packaging in time for Christmas and the New Year.”
Envirowise provides a host of advice and fact sheets on eco-design and packaging, available at www.envirowise.gov.uk or by calling the Envirowise Advice Line 0800 585794
