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Did you know that about 90% of all products in the U.S. are shipped in corrugated boxes? With how common they are, it’s easy to overlook how corrugated packaging contributes to your brand beyond protecting your product.
Modern corrugated graphic packaging is an effective tool for retail marketing. 72% of American consumers agree that packaging design influences their purchasing decisions, while 67% believe that the materials used in creating the packaging matter. An emerging selling point of corrugated packaging is sustainability, with 82% of consumers willing to pay more for eco-friendly packaging products.
With so much to consider from the manufacturing floor to store shelves, producers must think outside the box to create functional, sustainable, and visually appealing packaging.
In this blog, we’ll share practical ways to leverage innovative, sustainable packaging to enhance your brand presence, reduce environmental impact, and build customer loyalty. Additionally, we’ll delve into how advanced technologies can streamline the development of sustainable and impactful packaging design.
What are the Benefits of Innovative Sustainable Packaging in Retail Marketing?
Build Customer Loyalty
Modern consumers are more aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. 67% of Americans believe sustainability should be a standard for every company. Because of this, sustainable packaging has become an expectation rather than a niche preference for many consumers.
Packaging is increasingly seen as an extension of a brand's values, particularly among consumers who prioritize sustainability. The 2024 Corporate Social Value Index from NYU School of Professional Studies revealed that U.S. consumers feel stronger connections with brands whose values align with their own, rather than just focusing on product attributes.
By adopting innovative, sustainable packaging that genuinely reflects these values, companies not only meet consumer expectations but also build lasting loyalty among environmentally conscious shoppers.
Establish Brand Identity
Attractive packaging does more than catch the eye; it influences perception and drives purchase decisions. With countless products competing for attention, your packaging must make an immediate impact.
Partnering with an experienced packaging provider is essential to achieving this level of influence. A trusted expert can help you develop custom, and even patented, corrugated packaging designs that stand out. Modern printing technologies, such as precision flexo printing, ensure vibrant, high-quality graphics for large production runs, giving your brand the shelf presence it deserves.
Today’s digital printing takes packaging to the next level, transforming it into a dynamic branding tool. This advanced method offers unmatched flexibility with the ability to produce shorter print runs, make rapid adjustments, and create personalized designs with premium finishes, digital printing empowers brands to execute seasonal promotions and targeted campaigns while cutting waste.
Support Packaging Innovation
Competition encourages innovation and pushes businesses to constantly find new ways to stand out from their competitors. In addition to using sustainable materials, companies must innovate their sustainable packaging methods.
Production methods, including advanced gluing techniques, help reduce fiber use without sacrificing packaging strength. Using less fiber makes packaging lighter and more resource-efficient, which allows producers to achieve sustainability and budget goals.
Equally important is minimizing waste throughout the production and delivery process. Conducting comprehensive packaging reviews, such as York Container’s Strategic Packaging Optimization Team (SPOT), which we’ll cover later, and implementing smarter designs help maximize material use, eliminate unnecessary steps, and increase production safety.
“Every small efficiency gained, from creating corrugated sheets for packaging on-site to assembling boxes through automation, is aimed at helping customers save time and costs. This is a core value of our team at York Container.”
- Darryl Waddell, Business Development & Insights Manager, York Container
How to Address Potential Trade-offs Between Sustainable Packaging and Efficiency
When designing sustainable packaging, the first priority is making sure the packaging does its main job: to protect and present the product. Once covered, you can look into sustainable options to meet your customers’ needs.
Well-balanced packaging often involves determining the best combination of materials and techniques to meet specific customer requirements. Using the right combination of sustainable and other packaging materials to reinforce strength, helps achieve sustainability and packaging efficiency.
York Container’s Strategic Packaging Optimization Team (SPOT) was inspired by the phrase “SPOT on,” reflecting our goal of delivering customized solutions for our clients. Our SPOT team helps sales representatives create more client value by looking beyond cost-cutting measures.
“The SPOT team spends time at client facilities to understand each customer's needs and goals. We ask questions like, “What is your ideal outcome?” In addition to reducing production costs, we also look for other ways to add value to their packaging.”
- Jennifer Ward, Director, Strategic Packaging Optimization Team, York Container Company
With a purposeful review process, the SPOT team assesses whether the current packaging setup is slowing production and whether changes could help boost productivity. They also consider whether the design can be improved for better safety, reduced labor, or greater cost-effectiveness.
All these assessments are done through the lens of sustainability. When SPOT changes a design or material, it often finds ways to achieve sustainability savings. SPOT helps clients see the broader benefits of innovative, sustainable packaging by emphasizing efficiency, safety, and intelligent design, positioning York Container as a valued strategic partner rather than just a packaging supplier.
Are You Ready to Adopt Innovative Sustainable Packaging?
Embracing eco-friendly solutions not only benefits the environment but also offers a competitive advantage beyond shelf recognition. Sustainable packaging can help you enhance your brand’s reputation, meet your customers’ demands, and strengthen your bottom line.
If you’re ready to embrace sustainable packaging, let York Container help you with your transition. Our team will help you achieve your sustainability goals from assessment to production. Partner with York Container today!