Improving sustainable procurement can be achieved by focusing on packaging. Collaborating with suppliers, packaging engineers, or organizations like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition can help enhance packaging to reduce its impact on the environment while optimizing costs.
Here are some ways to reduce waste and costs through smarter packaging:
1. Use reusable packaging and containers whenever possible.
2. Choose biodegradable materials to reduce the amount of packaging that ends up in landfills.
3. Design packaging that can be recovered or reused, such as crushing cartons to use as packaging material in shipping.
4. Minimize packaging volume and weight to save on transportation costs.
5. Use packaging that emits minimal hazardous substances when disposed of.
6. Plan packaging sizes and cubes to optimize transportation space.
7. Ship products in a disassembled or flat position to maximize volume utilization.
8. Consider using reusable blankets instead of cardboard to eliminate waste.