5 practical tips for dealing with increased packaging consumption during the covid?

In the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, the proportion of online purchases has increased significantly in the Czech Republic. This was reflected in the consumption of packaging materials and increased waste production from cardboard to plastic packaging. Is there any way to avoid the negative impact on the environment? RAJA, Europe’s leading manufacturer of packaging materials, offers 5 practical tips on how to optimise packaging material consumption to avoid these impacts.

“Last year we saw an increase in demand for almost all packaging materials. Demand for paper adhesive tapes increased by 69% compared to 2019, while demand for paper filler increasedby 35%,” says Gabriela Fabianova, CEO of RAJA. “Since our inception, we have been advocating for a greener approach in logistics through education in this area. Today, given the growth in consumption, this is even more important than ever. We therefore follow a five-principle approach that will lead to a reduction in the amount of waste produced,” she adds.

The way to reduce the environmental burden

Packaging cannot be gotten rid of, it is essential to protect, transport safely and deliver all products safely to their destination. Unfortunately, packaging materials increase the amount produced – over 880,000 tonnes of packaging waste is sorted and recycled annually in the EKO-KOM system alone.^[1] of consumers also care that products are packaged in an environmentally friendly way.

“Our customers regularly ask us how they can reduce their ecological footprint. They are interested in improving the purchasing packaging line to meet the conditions for developing an environmentally sustainable environment. We have found that more and more companies are opting for complete environmentally responsible packaging lines, or making even just small improvements that lead to a better ecology wherever possible,” Fabian describes the situation.

The amount of waste in packaging can be reduced by promoting circular economy, using less material in packaging and using eco-friendly products. RAJA uses a packaging model that aims to reduce our impact on the environment.

5 practical principles for more sustainable packaging

There are 5 principles in the packaging industry that help to optimise the consumption of packaging materials and reduce the environmental impact: REDUCTION reducing the weight and volume of packaging to the minimum necessary to ensure proper protection reduces not only the amount of waste but also the cost of transportation. Packaging needs to be designed in such a way that REUSE. RENEW: the use of renewable materials. RECYCLINGthat minimises the environmental impact. The final principle is RECYCLING packaging that is not environmentally friendly.

” We buy their eco-friendly packaging from RAJA and have had good experiences with all of their products. We use Inka pallets for shipping overseas, which guarantee 100% IPPC protection,” says Jiří Klán, production coordinator at EYELEVEL.To protect the goods, we use tissue paper instead of conventional bubble wrap, which is significantly more environmentally friendly,” says Klán, describing the company’s experience.

^[1] This is based on the survey “Perceptions of European consumer packaging”, October 2018).