If you’re looking for sustainable packaging solutions, the first step to an innovative packaging transition might be smaller than you think.
The challenges most manufacturers are facing today don’t have clear paths to better solutions. Changing active product packaging requires R&D, testing, distributor approval, and of course pilot buyer tests in the market. While that process is part of the long-term strategy to meet scaling demands for packaging professionals, you need short-term wins. So, where should you start?
Sustainable Small Parts Packaging: Start Small to Meet the Big Demands of EPR Fees, Consumer Demand, Market Expansion
Shifting from single-use plastic packaging to paper for small parts or internal packaging can be a quick win for your business’s sustainability goals—and, for that matter, for the environment itself. Many businesses find that these pieces of packaging have fewer restrictions or guidelines governing them, resulting in a simpler process to overhaul.
Whether you’re evaluating sustainable packaging in order to meet the demands of internal stakeholders, eco-conscious consumers, or the regulatory environment, short-term wins in a sustainable packaging transition need to meet these criteria for consideration:
- Enough volume to move the needle
- Least path to resistance
- Opportunity to scale
Packaging for small parts or hardware meets all three criteria.
Many products like toys, electronics, furniture and more are packaged together with small extras, replacement pieces or assembly hardware. These little pieces need packaging, just like the main product does. It’s easy to overlook small parts or hardware packaging, but that means it can also be an easy starting point to overhauling your packaging.
Eco-Friendly Materials for Small Parts Packaging
Plastic is often the default material for hardware packaging or a small parts bag. These little bags and wrappers might not seem consequential, but when it comes to plastic waste, small pieces can add up quickly. Did you know that 40% of all plastic waste comes from packaging material? Plastic waste is an unequivocal disaster for the environment, taking hundreds of years to break down and contributing to microplastic and nanoplastic pollution.
Reducing plastic in your packaging is a key way to meet sustainability goals and comply with EPR regulations, and your hardware or component packaging is the perfect way to start.
So, what’s a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging? Paper packaging, of course! Paper is readily available and easy for customers to recognize as a recyclable and sustainable material. What’s more, paper can have surprisingly robust features that bring its functionality in line with plastic.
Getting Started with Sustainable Parts Packaging
If you’re new to decreasing plastic in packaging, begin with these initial steps.
- First, dig into your current product portfolio to explore where single-use plastic packaging is currently in place. With hundreds or thousands of SKUs, this may seem daunting, so divide your portfolio by category and determine where the greatest impact might be.
- Second, question the current packaging’s functionality. Are you paying for transparency you don’t really need? Do you have an expensive closure type for a single tool or accessory? Packaging isn’t getting cheaper; don’t overpay for features you don’t need.
- Third, evaluate where you can reduce. How much extra packaging is being used to hold those small spare pieces? Is your packaging heavier than what you need? Reducing the packaging footprint and weight are two easy ways to scale down unnecessary packaging.
Whether you’re seeking a shift to more sustainable packaging or trying to add functionality to your packaging, JBM offers better solutions for your small parts packaging. Here’s more to consider as you start thinking small.
The Small Parts Packaging Math: Right Material + Right Size = Right Solution
Once you understand your packaging needs and nice-to-haves, you can select the combination of materials and sizing that works for your product. JBM can guide you through this process by recommending materials and identifying opportunities to scale back.
If durability or transparency is a need for parts packaging, try glassine! This innovative paper packaging solution is sturdy, translucent and sustainable. JBM offers glassine packaging in a variety of weights to give you the strength you need at the price you can approve. Is barrier protection a must? JBM functional barrier papers offer exceptional protection against moisture and grease while remaining fully recyclable.
Right-sizing or scaling back your packaging can be even easier when you’re focused on packaging for small parts or hardware. Because these components are often bundled in a larger package with a main product, they may need smaller or lighter packaging than you think.
Here’s an example of how the right material, combined with the right size, can lead to a solution for component packaging that’s not only greener, but more cost-effective. This scenario is hypothetical, but it mirrors situations JBM Packaging can solve for:
A small component manufacturer came to JBM with packaging paperization in mind. One of their core products had four components packaged individually in small plastic packets, then bundled together in a plastic mylar bag. Each component required water-vapor resistance to prevent rust. During the discovery phase, our sales and innovation teams worked together to propose a reduction of paper thickness for three of the four internal component packets and conducted testing to verify that combining two of the parts into one packet didn’t cause damage. The 3 packets were then bundled together into one strong barrier material packet to help meet the water vapor resistance for all parts collectively. This solution saved the customer money on a per-packet basis by right-sizing the packaging and not overdoing the barrier protection needed.
Add Value to Small Parts Packaging with Extra Features
Paper packaging for small parts offers benefits over poly bags beyond sustainability. One such advantage is the ability to easily print on the packaging, rather than requiring a sticker or custom poly bag manufacturing. Branding, bar codes, lot numbers and more become part of a more streamlined process when your small parts bag is made of paper, because the printing can be done directly on the packaging and doesn’t require the extra steps of printing and applying a label. Taking steps out of the package manufacturing process increases speed, efficiency, and capacity.
In addition, the right packaging partner can offer features to take your paper packaging to the next level. Here are just a few of the value adds JBM can provide:
- Fully recyclable windowed packaging creating transparency on a smaller scale
- Tear strips and perforations for easy opening
- Resealable adhesive for multiple-use openings and closings
- Wicketing for ease of use on the filling production line
- Hanger holes for pick-and-pull racks for ecommerce fulfillment
If your small parts packaging requires a special feature, give us a call! The experts on our innovation team can help you design the perfect packaging solution.
Small Parts Packaging and Filling, All in One
The value provided by updating your component packaging and hardware packaging is turbocharged when combined with a filling service. If you’ve thought about onshoring your package filling, having your hardware and small parts packaged domestically could be a great trial balloon. Finding a trustworthy filling partner for parts packaging is an investment in both your time and your peace of mind. Fortunately, you can have both package manufacturing and filling provided by the same supplier—JBM Packaging!
JBM offers a full-service contract packaging solution that includes package design, manufacturing and filling. With decades of experience in the packaging industry, the team at JBM knows how to create packaging that is easy to fill, from selecting the right paper type to designing the right size flap. JBM can guide businesses every step of the way to discover a more sustainable, less stressful packaging solution for small parts.