How to design more sustainable packaging

Have you noticed that more of your packages may be arriving in eco-friendly envelopes rather than boxes? Or that some packages explain that they are compostable or contain less waste than in the past?

There is a huge movement to create, design and use more sustainable packaging for everything from shipping to consumer goods. If you haven’t been asked to design one of the products, chances are you will soon.

But how do you do it? What are the best practices for designing more sustainable packaging? Let’s examine this design technique.

What is sustainable packaging?

Designing sustainable packaging is essential to reducing waste, conserving resources and mitigating the impact of packaging on the environment.

There are two elements to this type of design work:

• Physical and structural design
• Graphic design and communication

We will briefly look at physical and structural design, but the focus here will mostly be on the graphic design considerations that come with sustainable projects.

Materials and construction

When it comes to physical packaging, there are a few things to think about in terms of sustainability. As a designer, some of these elements are often beyond your control and can already be determined before the project hits your desk.

These considerations include:

• Reduce material use to the minimum amount of material necessary to provide adequate protection to the product. Avoid overpacking or using unnecessary layers, coverings or decorations.
• The...