This Earth Day, Make Sure Your Packaging Measures Up
Posted By on Apr 21st 2025
Put your sustainability values front and center with packaging that makes an impact.
Earth Month and Earth Day were founded to mobilize attention and action around environmental issues. But in recent years, these moments can feel increasingly diluted—overshadowed by marketing noise, the trend of vague green claims, and, in 2025, a climate of economic uncertainty, tariffs, and political division.
Many brands may be wondering this year: Does Earth Day still matter to our customers?
The answer is a resounding yes, especially to the most engaged and loyal buyers. In an economic and political landscape full of noise and uncertainty, consumers are tuning in more carefully than ever to brand behaviors. When a company makes a thoughtful, transparent, and meaningful commitment to sustainability, it stands out.
In fact, recent surveys and studies show that:
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85% of consumers have experienced the impact of climate change in their daily lives
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46% of shoppers say that they’re intentionally buying more sustainable products
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65% of consumers between 18-30 prefer brands with strong sustainability credentials
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40% of global consumers report that waste reduction and recycling initiatives would make them more likely to purchase from a brand
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American consumers are willing to pay, on average, 9.7% more for sustainable products, even with cost-of-living increases
At EcoEnclose, we believe Earth Month can serve as a dedicated period for deepening your sustainability efforts, showcasing your values, and authentically connecting with the people who care most about your mission. As you pursue greater sustainability, it’s essential to ensure that your packaging aligns with your broader mission.
Packaging is one of your marketing tools' most visible, strategic, and impactful tools. It’s often the first physical interaction customers have with your brand, and it can either reinforce or undermine your commitment to the environment. When you get it right, your packaging can help you start new customer relationships off strong and build lasting ones.
Whether you’re making the most of Earth Day or pursuing long-term change, here are seven actionable ways to elevate your sustainable packaging strategy at any stage of business.
Table of Contents
- Maximize Recycled Content
- Design for Recycling and Circularity
- Streamline and Reduce Material Use
- Choose Circularity in the Details
- Prioritize Domestic Manufacturing
- Pursue Supply Chain Transparency
- Embrace Packaging Innovation
- How to Engage Your Customers Around Earth Day
- Earth Day and Beyond: Building a Sustainable Packaging Strategy That Lasts
1. Maximize Recycled Content
Close the loop to give used materials another useful life.
One of the most important pillars of sustainable packaging is using as much recycled content as possible. This reduces the demand for virgin materials, conserves energy and water, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
Why It Matters:
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Recycled materials typically have a lighter production footprint, requiring less water, fuel, and energy to create.
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Using recycled materials reduces the demand for raw virgin inputs, such as paper pulp or virgin plastic resins.
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Post-consumer waste (PCW) is especially important, as it strengthens recycling infrastructure and keeps waste out of landfills.
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Using recycled content also helps shift industry norms, creating demand for more circular packaging systems.
How to Do It Well:
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Look for packaging made with high levels of recycled content whenever possible.
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Prioritize post-consumer waste (PCW) for greater environmental and systemic impact.
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Don’t forget the “extras” such as void fill, labels, tape, and inserts, which can all be sourced with recycled content.
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When virgin material is unavoidable, choose certified, responsibly sourced options, such as FSC-certified paper.
Example: A brand is shipping in a virgin poly mailer with a conventional shipping label. They switch to a 100% recycled poly mailer and a shipping label made with recycled content, reducing their carbon footprint and need for raw materials.
Learn More: Why Recycled Content Matters
2. Design for Recycling and Circularity
Ensure your packaging can—and will—be recycled.
What your packaging is made from matters, but so does its eventual destination. Recycling is one of the best ways to reclaim and keep materials in use.
But recyclability isn’t just about material type—it’s about thoughtful design. If your packaging is too complex, poorly constructed, or improperly labeled, it’s unlikely to be processed correctly. To maximize recycling rates for your packaging, begin with the end-of-life in mind.
Why It Matters:
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When recyclable materials end up in landfills, they create both waste and economic loss.
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Customers are more likely to recycle packaging when doing so is simple and intuitive.
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Material recovery facilities (MRFs) are more likely to recycle clean and easily identifiable packaging.
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Recyclable packaging tells your customers that you’ve thought through the life cycle of your products and are committed to taking responsibility.
How to Do It Well:
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Use mono-materials rather than multi-layer materials so packaging doesn’t require disassembly.
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Avoid glitter, foil, or other hard-to-recycle coatings. Limit the use of laminates where possible.
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Ensure components are at least 2” x 2” since smaller pieces often fall through sorting systems.
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Choose recyclable adhesives, tapes, and labels that match your primary substrate.
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Provide clear disposal instructions, ideally printed on-pack.
Example: A brand is shipping in a virgin cardboard box with bubble wrap and packaging peanuts for cushioning. They create a parcel using a recycled box with a recyclable label, GreenWrap, and packing paper, so that the entire package can go straight into the recycling bin with minimal customer confusion or disassembly by MRFs.
Learn More: Designing for Recyclability
3. Streamline and Reduce Material Use
Less material. Less waste. More efficiency.
When it comes to sustainable packaging, less is often more. Overpackaging your products not only increases your costs, but it can also undermine your brand’s sustainability messaging.
By minimizing the amount of material used in each shipment, brands can lower environmental impacts and save on costs, without compromising product protection or customer experience.
Why It Matters:
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Reducing material conserves energy and water used in production.
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Smaller, lighter packaging requires less fuel to ship.
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Thoughtful, efficient design reinforces your brand’s values.
How to Do It Well:
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Audit your packaging to remove or redesign elements that aren’t necessary for functionality or customer experience.
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Right-size your packaging to fit the product without excessive void space.
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Downgauge thoughtfully and use thinner or lighter-weight materials that still meet performance needs.
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Eliminate redundant packaging—for example, can your mailer double as a return envelope?
Example: An apparel brand stocks one size of cardboard box and sends all items out regardless of size, leaving significant space in their packages. They package each item individually in a virgin poly bag and include a return envelope. To update their packaging, they order several sizes of recycled poly mailers with a resealable tear strip and a shipping label with a zero-waste release liner. They use the EcoBand product wrap for simple presentation, and match the order size to the mailer for less unused space.
Learn More: How to Right-Size Your Packaging
4. Choose Circularity in the Details
Small shifts can make a big difference.
Sustainability isn’t just about your box or mailer—it’s about every component of the packaging system. Often, these details are a deciding factor in the true impact of every package you ship. Minor packaging elements, when repeated across all of your brand’s fulfilled orders, have a significant impact, for good or bad.
Why It Matters:
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Packaging with even one non-recyclable element (like a laminated label or synthetic tape) can make the parcel much more challenging to recycle.
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Customers pay attention to details. An elegant, low-waste unboxing experience reinforces your sustainability ethos.
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Some of the most exciting developments in packaging start with brands that seek to improve these little things.
How to Do It Well:
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Printing Inks: Use water-based or soy-based inks, or innovations like carbon-negative Black Algae Ink™.
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Stickers and Labels: Choose options with zero-waste or recyclable backings.
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Adhesives: Look for adhesives that are designed to be recycling compatible.
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Void Fill: Replace plastic air pillows or bubble wrap with shredded kraft, corrugated wrap, or other paper-based cushioning.
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Notecards: Use recycled paper and eco-friendly inks, or print directly on your box or mailer.
Example: A subscription coffee company sends its orders in a box printed with toner ink, conventional labels, and a molded styrofoam cushioning for the coffee jar. They revamp their packaging for Earth Day by using algae ink printing, recyclable label backings, and replacing the non-recyclable foam cushioning with FlexiHex, a recyclable, paper-based alternative.
Learn More: Guide to Sustainable Printing Inks | Guide to Sustainable Void Fill
5. Prioritize Domestic Manufacturing
Reduce emissions, increase resilience, and support more ethical, lower-impact production.
Where your packaging is manufactured plays a critical role in its overall sustainability. Choosing domestically made packaging helps reduce environmental harm, supports ethical labor practices, and improves supply chain control. It’s an often-overlooked but powerful way to make your packaging strategy more circular and sustainable, and in many cases, it strengthens your supply chain.
Why It Matters:
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Cuts freight-related emissions, one of the most carbon-intensive aspects of packaging.
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Allows you to reduce secondary packaging used in transit.
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Supports regional manufacturing economies, including greener infrastructure and better worker protections.
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Increases your supply chain resilience by limiting your reliance on international sourcing.
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Enables closer oversight, ensuring materials are what suppliers claim and processes meet your values.
How to Do It Well:
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Source from suppliers who manufacture domestically, not just distribute.
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Understand where raw materials originate and where conversion happens.
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Look for domestic certifications (e.g., FSC®, GRS, BioPreferred).
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Request specific data and documentation about materials and manufacturing practices.
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Take extra care when sourcing virgin tree content to ensure you are not contributing to deforestation in old-growth or ancient forests.
Example: A brand sources corrugated boxes from a supplier with overseas production, requiring long lead times, high MOQs, and ocean freight shipping. The brand transitions to 100% recycled corrugated boxes made domestically, reducing emissions from international freight and improving delivery timelines. The shift allowed the company to place smaller, more frequent orders, support local manufacturing jobs, and align their sourcing with their core sustainability values.
Learn More: Why We Prioritize Domestic Manufacturing
Source: Unsplash
6. Pursue Supply Chain Transparency
Understand your materials, partners, and impact—every step of the way.
As consumers demand more integrity from the brands they support, supply chain transparency is becoming essential. When transparency is lacking, greenwashing scandals can put a lasting dent in brand reputations. On the other hand, a commitment to transparency can help you strengthen your brand image and relationships with customers.
Understanding the full lifecycle of your packaging, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life data, can help you make better decisions, back up your claims, and build trust with your audience.
Why It Matters:
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Helps you verify environmental claims and avoid greenwashing.
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Ensures your decisions are actually supporting your values and goals.
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Allows you to educate customers with confidence.
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Prepares your business for future regulations or disclosure requirements.
How to Do It Well:
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Know where your packaging materials originate, including fiber, polymers, and inks.
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Understand the labor practices and working conditions throughout your packaging supply chain.
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Seek and confirm third-party certifications such as FSC®, GRS (Global Recycled Standard), or Fair Trade.
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Request documentation like chain-of-custody records, impact reports, and recycled content verifications.
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Share supply chain information with customers in a clear, compelling way.
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Ensure your on-pack labeling is accurate and easy to understand.
Example: A company relies on paper packaging labeled “recycled” without verification. Upon investigation, they discover it contains mostly industrial scrap, not post-consumer content, includes unlabeled virgin content, and is produced in facilities with limited oversight. The brand decides to partner instead with a supplier offering certified recycled content, clear end-of-life data, and traceability down to the mill.
Learn More: Guide to Sustainable Certifications
7. Embrace Packaging Innovation
Be bold enough to lead—and help shape the future of sustainable packaging.
While incremental improvements are important and impactful, systemic change requires innovation and early adopters. We need forward-thinking brands willing to take a leap on innovations, pilot next-gen materials, and drive continued progress in circular packaging.
Innovations for All Brands to Consider:
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Black Algae Ink™ – A regenerative alternative to petroleum-based inks, made from algae waste.
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Seaweed-Based Retail Box Windows – A plastic-free, compostable solution for transparent packaging.
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Sway Seaweed Poly Bags – Marine-safe, home-compostable poly mailers made from ocean-grown seaweed.
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Glassine Paper Bags – Smooth, translucent, and curbside recyclable replacements for plastic poly bags.
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Sugarcane Mailers – Durable mailers derived from bagasse, a waste product of sugarcane processing.
Tips for Ambitious Innovators:
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If your brand has a high sustainability bar and a tolerance for early-stage risk, you may be a great fit to test the latest innovations.
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Not every material will fit every supply chain. Work closely with us to understand performance and end-of-life pathways.
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Early adoption often comes with storytelling value. Customers respect brands that lead, experiment, and evolve transparently.
Example: Any brand can pilot an innovative packaging material during Earth Month, like swapping poly bags for glassine, then gather customer feedback while evaluating cost and performance.
Learn More: Sustainable Packaging Innovations
How to Engage Your Customers Around Earth Day
Turn your packaging upgrades into an opportunity for connection and education.
Once you’ve invested in more sustainable packaging, ensure your customers know it. Earth Month is the ideal time to celebrate your impact, share your journey, and invite your community to join you.
Ways to Engage:
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Print sustainability messaging directly on your box, mailer, or label.
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Include a note card with facts about your packaging’s environmental footprint, recycling instructions, or an invitation to join your mission.
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Launch a campaign encouraging customers to reuse or recycle, or share unboxings on social media.
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Highlight your materials in marketing, such as recycled content or next-gen inputs.
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Use storytelling across email, web, and social to explain what changes you’ve made and why.
Best Practices:
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Be honest about where you are and what’s still in progress.
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Share real data like recycled content percentages or emissions reductions.
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Avoid vague claims like “eco-friendly” and opt for specific, verifiable language.
Example: A wellness brand launches a limited-run Earth Month shipping box, featuring an inside lid message detailing the packaging’s PCR content and recyclability. The insert includes a QR code linking to a social media post on their sustainability goals that customers can engage with and share.
Learn More: Align Your Packaging With Your Brand Refresh
Earth Day and Beyond: Building a Sustainable Packaging Strategy That Lasts
On Earth Day and every day, your packaging can be a catalyst for long-term, meaningful impact.
At EcoEnclose, we know that sustainable packaging is never one-size-fits-all. That’s why we partner with businesses at every stage—from small startups to large enterprises—to create solutions that reflect your values, your operational needs, and your brand identity.
Whether you're ready to take a bold leap into innovation or want to make incremental changes that add up over time, we're here to help you lead with purpose.
Together, we can make Earth Month a launchpad for better packaging for business and the planet.
Photos: (Top) NASA CC0 Images
About EcoEnclose
EcoEnclose is the leading sustainable packaging company that provides eco-packaging solutions to the world’s most forward-thinking brands.
We develop diverse, sustainable packaging solutions that meet our rigorous research-based standards and customers’ goals. We drive innovative packaging materials to market and consistently improve the circularity of existing solutions.