Plenty of companies have focused on green policies and ensuring that they are not wasteful or harmful to the planet. One factor that can be the worst for the planet is the shipping process, which is why you need to take steps to stop this problem. There are plenty of ways that you can up the sustainability levels of your shipping process, and here are a few of them.
Work With Green Shipping Partners
You also need to look closer at your shipping and logistics partners and only rely on the ones that have the same green credentials that are echoed by your business. Therefore, it is more than worth looking at a company that offers the specific service you need, such as Seafreight. If you take all the right steps yourself, but your partners are not putting in the same level of effort, your actions could end up being in vain. You should review the companies you are working with regularly and make changes as and when necessary.
Choose Sustainable Packaging Materials
One of the easiest aspects that you have control over is the packaging materials. It is worth choosing boxes that are recycled. You should also consider what is going inside the boxes; many are filled up with more unsustainable materials, such as polystyrene. If you switch packaging and opt for a sustainable material type instead, you know that you are playing your part. Again, you should subject your packaging materials to a regular review process.
Use the Right Size of Materials
Many companies have been criticized over the years for using packaging that is unsuitably sized for the items that are inside. Therefore, you need to have a good idea of the measurements of your items. If you send the same items repeatedly, it should become easier to get the sizing right. If you send differently sized items, it becomes more complicated, but it should not be an insurmountable challenge either.
Ship in Bulk
Rather than shipping items off individually, you should be shipping them in bulk. This is going to take more forward planning as it means that you will need to think about your shipping policies. There is a balance to be struck between ensuring that your customers receive their items in a timely manner but not rushing it to the point that you send off every individual item and have a more negative impact on the environment. Again, you should put this under review and make changes to your policy as the world around you adapts.
These steps should make a big difference to your shipping process and will make it greener. While there may well be bigger steps that you need to take, do not underestimate the smaller steps that you can take that can all add up. This is something to shout about and be proud of as you know that your company is being run in a sustainable manner and you are also making an effort to keep improving into the future.
