Packaging before and after (L-R)
Packing up your troubles: Advice available for businesses
Lincolnshire Trading Standards' Packaging Team are encouraging county businesses to get in touch for advice and guidance on reducing their packaging. The team have already influenced a national company to change to smaller, recyclable packaging and saved them money in the process.
Packaging Team Leader, Lisa Foster, said:
"It makes no economical sense for a business to use more packaging materials than is necessary. We are visiting individual companies and speaking to them over the phone to offer practical advice and support in this area"
"In Lincolnshire we have seen an increase in the number of complaints received by the Team from members of the public. Consumers are telling us that it is no longer acceptable for businesses to overpack unnecessarily. People also want to feel that they are doing their bit to help the environment and therefore businesses can use their 'environmental credentials' as a successful marketing tool."
Successful eco-design minimises the use of materials and the overall burden on the environment throughout the product life-cycle and saves money.
The Packaging Team have been working with Dr Martin Biggs consultant to Passions4Health-DenTek Ltd a national dental company about their products. The company agreed to make changes from an apparently excessive plastic outer carton to a much smaller cardboard box, which is now recyclable.
Dr Martin Biggs of Martin Biggs Associates, said:
"My client was delighted to have the input from Trading Standards. Packaging costs have now been reduced by around 20%. A win, win situation for all."