Eco-Friendly Parcel Shipping: Sustainable Practices for Global Sending
Eco-friendly parcel shipping is an important part of sustainable business practice. If you need to send parcel to Australia, you’ll want to do it in an affordable yet environmentally sound way. Here are some tips to consider.
Packaging Materials and Packing Items
The right place to start is with your materials. If you are sending items in packages that are too big, you’re just shipping air, so pick a package that’s the right size for the parcel you’re sending. Common sense tips such as packaging items together as much as possible also apply here. While using something to keep fragile items safe on a long voyage may be necessary, there are alternatives to traditional plastic cushioning or other hard-to-recycle plastics. Biodegradable items such as water-soluble packaging peanuts or compostable film can help cut your carbon footprint, as these will break down more easily and cause less environmental damage.
Reusing and Reducing Packaging
The ultimate aim of any responsible business should be to incorporate zero-waste practices. Packaging design which promotes reuse or makes recycling easy is one way to implement this and recycled packaging materials are also a great place to start. When you are sourcing your packaging, buying locally can be an eco-friendly practice as well as a way of supporting small businesses and your local economy at the same time. Eco-friendly inks and labels are also worth considering. Finally, once your package has been sent, think about the end user: is your packaging able to be recycled (or, even better) reused by the recipient?
Optimise Route Planning and Go Green
Route optimization software can help you plan the most efficient routes to save time and money on your parcel’s journey, reducing both time on the road (or in the air) and fuel costs. Green shipping options are also a possibility, including working with green couriers and companies who prioritise eco-friendly practices. Electric or hybrid vehicles are less environmentally damaging than ones using fossil fuel, so this is worth considering too. It may also be possible to pay to offset your carbon emissions, as a business or as an individual. Another smart way to cut down on individual journeys in parcel shipping is to use local pickup and drop-off points. This can be convenient for the customer too, as this option is often cheaper and you or they don’t need to wait for a delivery.
Educating Customers about your Eco-Friendly Practices
Let your customers know what you’re doing in terms of sustainability. Most people care about the world we live in and want to do better in terms of looking after it. Let them know about options to return or recycle packaging and encourage them to choose sustainable shipping options. This approach will also naturally appeal to a customer who is eco-conscious. Another way of reducing emissions is to encourage paperless transactions: invoices, receipts and other communications can all be done electronically, so let your customer know about these. You can also pursue green certification for your own business – the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or Cradle to Cradle work with businesses on these matters. Once you have the certification, you will be able to let all of your customers know about your green credentials which in turn could help boost your business.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement
Nothing stays the same over long periods of time so it always makes good sense to review and renew your sustainable practices. If you send lots of parcels as an individual or as a business, looking where improvements can be made with shipping and packaging in terms of your carbon footprint is worthwhile. Staying on top of sustainability and innovations in transportation and packaging materials is also a great thing to do. Similarly, education is (or should be) a lifelong process. Educating yourself as well as your customer means constantly looking at what you could do better, and sharing what you learn.
By implementing these ideas, you will be reducing the environmental impact of parcel shipping and becoming even better over time. While one parcel’s journey may not seem like much, if you send parcel to Australia or other destinations regularly these tips can make your operations much more environmentally friendly.
