Plastic has been our go to source of packaging for decades. It is sturdy, lightweight, and cheap to produce. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the waste and litter it produces damages ecosystems and is clogging our oceans.
This is no longer a secret. And right now, sustainability and environmental conservation top the list of consumer priorities. We owe the planet a change in how we package products and we have adjusted our product offerings to support the cause.
This is good for the planet, business, and the vape industry's image as a whole.
Here is a list of sustainable vape packaging offerings that we now have at Cartridge Supply Co.
Tin cans
We have been using them for food storage for years, so why not for vapes?
Tin cans are compact, lightweight and offer a high level of protection. Can you imagine gummies or other products getting damaged when packaged in a tin can? It seems impossible!
They come in all sorts of sizes and are airtight. You will usually find tin cans with either a pull-off seal, or a removable and replaceable lid. At cartridge supply we also have child-proof options. For all inquiries on packaging offerings, please reach out here on our contact form and make sure to provide as much detail as possible.
If choosing tin cans with a replaceable lid, customers can hang on to the packaging, and return it to you to be reused.
Cardboard
Cardboard is another great sustainable vape packaging alternative. It is usually made of a form of Kraft paper, which itself is made of cellulose. Cellulose is a type of cell found in pants, and so it is completely biodegradable.
There are two main types of cardboard packaging options which you should know about.
Bleached cardboard is the white, often sturdier one you see electronics boxes made from. Bleaching the cardboard makes printing graphics onto it easier. And to some the white color can be more appealing. But, this makes it much less sustainable than if left unbleached. The bleaching process requires chemicals and also creates carbon emissions.
Unbleached, natural Kraft cardboard is the most sustainable cardboard packaging option. It is the brown, earthy color boxes that most of your parcels come boxed in. By not bleaching it, it has a lower carbon footprint, and also biodegrades in less time.
So, unbleached cardboard is definitely the better cardboard option for sustainable vape packaging. O
Recycled cardboard boxes
Recycled cardboard is a great sustainable vape packaging idea for a couple of reasons.
First, the process of making paper pulp for cardboard uses lots of water and creates a lot of carbon emissions. So recycling materials means that this process does not need to be repeated.
And secondly, more natural resources (save our trees!) can be saved. This is again great for improving the sustainability of your vape packaging as it will improve its carbon footprint. The less trees we chop down, the less CO2 in the atmosphere.
FSC certified cardboard
Forest Stewardship Council certified cardboard is another sound cardboard option for sustainable vape packaging.
The FSC pioneered sustainable forest management, and continues to promote sustainable use of woodland areas.
Cardboard stamped with their seal of approval has come from an area that is well managed, with a look ahead to generation.
Along with forest management, they promote workers rights as well other as sustainability laws.
And so for all these reasons, FSC certified cardboard is a really good sustainable vape packaging idea.
Hemp based packaging
We have known about the many benefits of hemp for generations, and it is the gift that keeps on giving. We have figured out a way to use it in packaging, and it gives us a couple of sustainable packaging ideas.
Hemp based plastic
Biodegradable plastics sparked hope in many when they first entered the marketplace. But, they quickly revealed their true colors. Many bioplastics are not in fact biodegradable.
Hemp based plastics are another form of bioplastics, but their biodegradability is much better than others.
Along with this, they are 5 times stiffer and 3 times stronger than petroleum based plastics
Hemp cardboard
Hemp is also used to produce cardboard, and is another sustainable vape packaging idea.
Like regular wood based cardboard, hemp is also cellulose based. However, the amount of cellulose in hemp is about 25% higher than in wood. This means that it is much more natural, and so biodegrades even faster.
Hemp fibers are also longer and stronger than wood, and the plant also grows much faster. All factors considered, it seems like hemp cardboard is clearly the most sustainable cardboard choice.
And finally, if you want to print onto your packaging , then hemp also helps with this. It has less lignin than wood, which is what gives regular cardboard its brown color.
Reusable plastic tubs
Wait, plastic... what?
Ok just hear us out. Plastic is obviously the last choice that you want to go with if you are looking for sustainable vape packaging.
But, like we mentioned with the tin cans, you can also set up a return scheme for plastic tubs. And for this you do not need to buy new plastic either. There is already so much plastic in the world that you could easily stockpile recycled or second hand plastic containers for your vapes.
This only really becomes sustainable if the plastics you use are not new. If you buy new, then you create a demand for the production of new plastic. And so even if it is long-lasting reusable plastic, the process of manufacturing it still pollutes.
So using reusable plastic tubs is an option, but should not be the go-to one.
Hopefully you now have some inspiration for alternative vape packaging, and can keep your customers, as well as the planet happy.