Labelling that is kind to the environment strives to achieve eco-friendliness through four key opportunities – Reduce, Reuse, Renew and Recycle. We’re going to break each one down in a little more detail here.
Reduce
A big target for eco-friendly charities, organisations and companies, is to reduce the number of raw materials that we consume. By consuming these raw materials, we are damaging the environment for future generations, and some of these raw materials are already threatened. Labels that are recyclable or have already been recycled are great examples of the efforts made to reduce this raw material consumption. Single-use plastics, which are one of the biggest enemies to the environment, contribute towards this consumption, and the effort to nullify these with bans on the material are close on the horizon.
Renew
To truly reduce the number of raw materials that we are consuming, we need to focus on renewable materials that provide a viable alternative. A good example of a renewable resource is wood. Trees can be planted, grown and harvested infinitely, and the wood that we gain from these harvests aren’t just used for timber and paper, as scientists continue to find new and exciting uses for different renewable resources and materials. Now, it’s important understand that not all products derived from wood will be harvested sustainably. Unfortunately, there are forests and habitats that are scalped and left in ruin with no project in place to replace what was harvested. However, that isn’t the case for all forests. Organisations like PEFC and the FSC work hard to certify forests that work under high standards for social, economic and environmental aspects. Forests with these certifications will proudly display the logo or badge from these organisations to demonstrate that you can be confident that in purchasing this product you are not contributing to unsustainable practices.
Reuse & Recycle
It’s apt to include Reuse and Recycle in the same category as they tend to go hand in hand. Reusing materials and recycling them in the proper way is one of the most important things you can do as a consumer. You have a choice in the products you purchase to opt for packages that can be recycled, and then you have a social responsibility to carry out that recycling process. This means that the packaging can be processed and reused in packaging and products down the line, which all contributes toward a circular economy. You will see the term Circular Economy frequently throughout our website, so let’s take a deeper look into it.
Circular Economy
Products and packaging is often made from raw materials, but that doesn’t always need to be the case. When we take that raw material and create something from it, we can ensure that we can recycle and reuse that product again and again to an almost infinite state, thus creating a circular economy in which materials are not simply disposed of, but reused over an over again to reduce the need for consuming raw materials. Now, when we say that these materials can be used infinitely, it doesn’t necessarily mean in the same fashion. Take, for example, a Timberland shoes. Instead of making their rubber soles from raw materials, they make use of car tyres that are no longer fit for purpose. These soles can then be repeatedly processed and recycled to make shoe soles in the future.
The four key elements to sustainability are becoming a real hot topic across all industries and consumers are paying close attention to those that are taking the lead role in transforming the way they treat their product and the impact they have on the environment and that extends all the way to the labelling and even the inks and glues used on them.
