The way your product is packaged, sealed and opened by your customers says so much about who you are as a small business. If you’re not already using some of the more sustainable packaging options available, such as paper wrap, cardboard boxes and even glass, now is the perfect time to make the switch. In fact, the Australian government has set new targets in partnership with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation. By the end of 2025, they aim to phase out single-use plastic, with 100 per cent of packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable. 

Australians produce about 76 million tonnes of waste each year, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and more than a quarter of this ends up in landfill. To help your business become part of the solution, here’s a guide to sustainable packaging. 

Why Should We Make the Switch to More Sustainable Packaging?

“Globally, waste production has spiralled out of control,” says Dr Paul Harvey, an environmental scientist and author of ‘The Plasticology Project’. “Ultimately, it can be distilled into two things: change in consumer habits coupled with rapid population growth over the last century, and poor resource management. The first means that we are consuming more. The second means that we don’t have very good ways to manage the waste generated from our consumption.” 

While switching to more sustainable packaging won’t magically wipe out our global waste problem, it’s a step in the right direction. A general rule of thumb is less packaging is better. “And choosing packaging that can be reused, recycled and repurposed,” says Dr Paul. 

SEE ALSO: Tree Regeneration 101: Greening Australia

Research Packaging Ideas to Fit Your Business

Tales & Tea founder Emily Jones holds an open gift box that contains a book, packets of tea bags and a calico gift bag.
After researching the choices available, gift box retailer Emily Jones replaced her packaging with recyclable options.

One small-business owner looking at more sustainable approaches to packaging is Emily Jones, the brains behind Tales & Tea, an online gift box retailer. She launched her business in 2020, and originally used traditional packaging like poly mailers, sticky tape and bubble wrap for her products. “I soon realised I was not staying true to my core values, and I decided to change the packaging over time, using up my existing stock and then replacing it with more sustainable options,” she says. 

The process took time, as Emily compared costs and found local suppliers of recyclable packaging. “Try talking to other businesses in your industry,” she advises. “Investigate all the options, research the pros and cons of recycled materials and find the best application for these in your business.” 

Ideas for Recyclable Packaging

A high-up view of the inside of the Rustyque store, showing a variety of display cabinets filled with antique items, including kitchenware, art and ornaments.
Online antiques and collectables store Rustyque ships its products in reused and recyclable packaging.

For Deb Kassis, who runs Rustyque, an online antiques and collectables business based in Sydney, using packaging that reduces waste just makes sense. “Being in the antiques business, it’s all about giving items a second chance at life,” she says. “I save things destined for landfill all the time, clean them up and find them a new home. I try to be as waste-free as possible.”

SEE ALSO: Upcycle It: Fun Recycled Craft Ideas for Kids

Sustainable Packaging Essentials 

Paper and Cardboard

First, investigate fibre-based materials like paper and cardboard and see if they will work for you. Cheap, strong and accessible, paper and cardboard packaging are a good option as they can be easily recycled by your customers. Also, look for tubes and envelopes made from recycled sources for a higher sustainability value. 

L’ada Soaps & Scents founder Deborah Terkely holding a stack of four soaps in various colours. She’s standing outside with leafy green bushes out of focus in the background.
Deborah Terkely is committed to lowering her business’s carbon footprint, via the use of recyclable packaging and more.

This approach works for Melbourne-based business L’ada Soaps & Scents, which works hard to reduce its carbon footprint and drive a circular economy. And it’s not just about wrapping its beautiful bars of soaps in recycled paper. “Our business has a big focus on sustainability,” says founder Deborah Terkely. “We use solar power to run our equipment and we buy ingredients in bulk from local suppliers to reduce emissions from our cars. It’s very important that our packaging is in alignment with this.” 

L’ada soaps are also shipped using recycled butcher’s paper and shredded paper for packaging filler. “This helps to keep our products tight and secure in boxes and reduces any movement when in transit,” says Deborah.

A multi-shelf display of L’ada soap bars in a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, pink, purple and green, and wrapped in a khaki-coloured paper product label.
L’ada Soaps & Scents uses packaging that is beautiful and sustainable. 

Pure Glass

Do you ship fragile goods? Packaging expert Elli Cohen, the director of Blesbok Enterprises, says glass could be your best bet. “Glass is making a comeback in the packaging market. We make a lot of glass packaging for our clients because they want a high-quality, premium look for their products, and consumers love how it looks and feels,” she says. Glass is a fantastic alternative to single-use plastics – it’s durable and long-lasting, infinitely recyclable, and made from raw materials found in nature. Glass jars and bottles can also be repurposed around the home.

Plant-based Materials

As packaging technology develops, we’re seeing more and more sustainable alternatives emerge with a lower carbon footprint, including packaging made from plant matter. “Many of them actually perform better than their plastic or styrofoam counterparts,” says Dr Paul. 

Packaging Extras

A cardboard box filled with tea, chocolates, a book, calico bag and printed cards and vouchers sits on a wooden table surrounded by a blanket, a pile of books, a candle and flowers.
Emily Jones has a detailed sustainability plan for all packaging used at Tales & Tea.

Emily has considered every detail when it comes to her sustainability plan for Tales & Tea. “I use recyclable boxes, fully recyclable packing tape and recyclable filler to protect contents, and thermal-printed address stickers instead of inkjet printing, [which uses a lot less energy and less ink],” she says. 

And, as well as considering packaging, care and thought have also gone into the gift boxes themselves, with special touches such as organic tea and handmade chocolates sourced locally in Australia, as well as reusable calico gift bags. “My customers love receiving their packages not only for the gift inside, but they appreciate that everything is beautifully packaged, too,” Emily says. 

SEE ALSO: How Officeworks’ Tree Planting Initiative Is Restoring the Environment

What to Try

An assortment of recyclable packaging supplies, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds, including paper tape, tissue paper, paper filler and courier bags.

‍This was originally published in 2023 and has since been updated.