Smarter Packaging for a Healthy Planet is a Way of Life

Packsize was founded on the idea that companies don’t have to sacrifice revenue or quality to bring their customers sustainable products. Today, we’re proud to say that we provide superior corrugated packaging at competitive prices, while providing savings in 11 different ways.

Today is Earth Day, so we wanted to take a moment to share a few resources that can help you and your business be more sustainable.

Educate Yourself

The most pressing environmental challenge we face today is climate change. What a lot of people may not realize is that the effects of climate change are lot like those associated with smoking cigarettes—it’s a slow, gradual process where the effects may not be immediately apparent. Right now, the planet is kind of like a person who has been smoking for at least a decade (if not three). The effects of climate change are starting to be felt and there may not be a way to prevent all the negative consequences in the future. It’s more important than ever to be educated on this issue and speak out on it when possible.

NASA on Global Climate Change

The first resource we’d like to provide is NASA’s climate change website. This is a very large site from one of the most trusted government organizations on the facts and causes behind climate change. Of particular note is their evidence page, which provides easy to understand graphs, charts, and videos.

XKCD: Earth’s Temperature Timeline

If you’ve never checked out XKCD before, you’ve been missing out. It’s a funny webcomic that’s often about science, engineering, and math. This webcomic  shows a timeline of the Earth’s average temperature from 20,000 BCE to today. You might be surprised at some of the things you’ll learn from this chart. For example, did you know that the difference between the 20th century and the ice age was a matter of just 4° C? You’ll probably be surprised to see what the average temperature looks like today.

Taking Action at Home

Once you understand the importance of sustainability, the next step is to naturally take action to reduce your carbon footprint. Obviously, no one person can really make that big a difference in the environment—it’s a statement we’ve all heard before. So I’d like to take a moment to address this attitude.

Humanity is more connected than it’s ever been before, and arguably more connected than any other species on the planet. Take a look around you right now and find the closet object to you, and then take a moment to think about how many people it took to get that object to that location right now. Whether that object is a notebook or a notebook computer, there was almost certainly at least 100 designers, engineers, administrators, and transporters involved in getting that object to you. Nothing we do anymore is really done alone, and that includes sustainability. It involves you doing your part and encouraging others to do the same. That is why we can’t accept the defeatist attitude that one person can’t really make a difference.

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

There are a couple of different resources you can use to do this. The first one is Nature.org’s calculator, which is pretty easy to use. If you’re looking for something more in-depth, you should check out the EPA’s carbon footprint calculator, which takes into account your energy bills and the miles per gallon your car is getting. This is more difficult to use, but it can be a valuable exercise for those who are serious about cutting carbon emissions. Both calculators provide suggestions on how to best improve your sustainability.

WikiHow: How to Celebrate Earth Day

This is a great resource filled with ideas on activities you can do today. Some great activities include planting trees or flowers, installing a bat house or a bird feeder, and having a sustainable foods meal. Remember, treating every day like it’s Earth Day is the best way to celebrate our planet.

Use Sustainable Business Practices

Like we said earlier, it is entirely possible for a business to be sustainable while still providing a superior product and not cutting into your revenues. Today’s consumers are more in-tune with sustainable businesses than ever before, and they notice when a business makes socially-conscious decisions.

Ivey Business Journal’s 10 Steps to Sustainable Business

his article comes from 2013, but is still filled with excellent information. Ivey Business Journal defines a sustainable business as one that does the following:

• Creates long-term financial value.
• Knows how their actions affect the environment and actively work to reduce their impacts.
• Cares about their employees, customers and communities and work to make positive social change.
• Understands these three elements are intimately connected to each other

This contrasts with businesses that make decisions based on short-term gains and their immediate bottom line. Sustainable companies are also much more stable, and as a result, more likely to survive system shocks like recessions or natural disasters.

Another increasingly important aspect of sustainable business is Environmental Commodities, which either reward businesses for producing clean energy, or punish them for polluting the environment. One solid guide on the types on environmental commodities that will start to become more common can be seen here.

Packsize’s Own Sustainability Resources

After a short hiatus, we’re proud to announce that our brand new sustainability page is now live on our website. This page discusses how smaller packaging helps your business be more sustainable in unexpected ways. It’s particularly noteworthy that we provide a comprehensive sustainability report that outlines Packsize’s initiatives and goals.

If you’d like to download that report, you can do it by filling out the form at the bottom of this post, or the form on our sustainability page. We’d love to hear from you and look forward to discussing how we can help your company be more sustainable.