Improve Business Image Using Environmentally Friendly Packaging

by | Aug 23, 2018 | Business

Packaging is defines as:

The science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use and for the purposes of this article, I’ll include as a serving mechanism for food and beverage. If you were eating at a fine dine restaurant and you $50 steak came out on a paper plate, I’m sure the image and your opinion of the place would immediately change and suggest the same can apply for your ice cream, bakery or coffee shop or retail container.

More Recent Push to Be Responsible:

there has been a major push for restaurant owners and patrons to be more responsible when it comes to plastic straws, don’t use and don’t request. Personally when I visit a gelato or like shop and the product is served in a Styrofoam cup and flimsy spoon, I very quickly think, why the cheap stuff when they just charged five bucks for a scoop. I tell clients that image is everything and most often represents a compliment of quality product, inviting atmosphere and exceptional service. If your passing out a napkin to bowl, I suggest you look at it from the other side of the serving counter and not your wallet. Besides that, serving products in 2018 in the same type packaging as forty years ago can also make a statement about ownership and overall operations.

Many Purposes:

Packaging is used for many purposes such as barrier protection, sanitation, marketing, security, convenience and portion control. It can also be used to personalize and compliment products being served. In years past, your ice cream sundae was served in glass, then in a waxed lined paper bowl, next Styrofoam, plastic and now Eco friendly compost-able.

Each material was sold on a separate and unique premise such as replacing glass with paper eliminates breakage and washing; Styrofoam was promoted as a better insulator than paper and plastic was less cost than paper plus you’d be saving a tree. We could voice just about any argument, cause or concern on most disposable products in the marketplace and today that cause is sustainability as in global awareness and what some materials are doing after it’s tossed in the trash.

Remember, the container you use to serve your product on or feature in, can be a first impression and reflection of your entire operation, so let’s look at how to take advantage of swapping “bad” and early on packaging for “friendly”, today’s choices. First here’s a look at the evolution and introduction of common service items.

Packaging History & Time-Line:

First the wonder of glass, then paper, then plastic and now green or compost-able in a wide range of sizes, styles and colors. The point being, there really is no excuse to use 50’s dated products in today’s business environment.

Don’t Stumble Over Annual Dollars Looking At Daily Pennies:

Typically the shop owner will look for ways in saving money, so many times they target the packaging and disposable products like napkins, cutlery, utensils, cups, bowls, plates etc, but if you really conduct a thorough analysis, you may discover that the cheaper products actually cost more on an annual basis. Take napkins as example, I’ve visited shops where they actually continued to have on the counter, the very teeny, tiny napkin also known as low fold at 7” x 12” in size and for a guy like me, can go through about 25 of them, because they’re good for one swipe of the mouth.

If the napkin was larger and thicker, then experience wiping suggests that only one would be required, now take one customer x 300 per day and you’ll easily calculate that the larger and slightly more costly napkin on an annual basis would be the less expense. Another example are the flimsy and in my opinion useless very standard uncoated paper plate, that from the very start most double stack because they already know they soak up juice and bend super easy. So do the same multiplication exercise and again the annual cost would probably be higher than in using a good, hearty coated plate.

Your Image Is a Valuable Asset:

At the end of the day, when you present your high quality and specialty product, then consider using sturdy, environmentally friendly and attractive ware. It can cost you a few cents more, but easily absorbed by the business, not effecting the bottom line. More importantly, your customers will be impressed with their overall experience, tell their friends and stay a repeat customer, now that’s priceless.

Contact Darryl, he’ll help you look at your business from a expert view and how the business is perceived by customers is critical for the future.

Darryl David
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