How to Ship Products in an Eco-Friendly Way

The modern consumer is more conscious of the surrounding environment. Today, customers are doing more than adopt sustainable shopping habits. They are going the extra mile to consider how their goods are shipped and delivered to them. Customers are evaluating shipping companies to ensure they have integrated eco-friendly practices in their business operations.

Why Should Freight Shipping Companies Adopt Eco-Friendly Practices?

Given that 53% of U.S. imports and 38% of exports are transported by ocean vessels, it becomes crucial for ocean shipping companies to utilize eco-friendly shipping supplies in their operations. Ocean shipping cargo handles millions of tons of cargo every day. This involves a lot of packaging, most of which ends up as waste when the customer receives the product. American cargo tracking ensures that the products get to the right customers in one piece.

If the packaging material used is not recyclable, it leads to massive global pollution. Due to the adverse climatic effects that people are beginning to experience in various parts of North America due to global warming, people prefer companies that have adopted a green-policy. Therefore, a shipping company that integrates eco-friendly policies in their operations will attract more international customers.

Here are ideas that freight cargo companies can utilize to make their operations more environmental-friendly.

1. Choosing Eco-Friendly Filling Material

Packaging is one of the main concerns of any cargo shipping companies. If you do not get the packaging right and goods are damaged while on transit, you will incur heavy losses. It is no wonder shipping companies utilize filling materials such as Styrofoam to pad their goods. However, these materials may not always be eco-friendly. For instance, Styrofoam is a hazard to the environment and its production is not sustainable as it causes a lot of waste.

Instead of padding products with a potentially-hazardous product such as Styrofoam, shipping companies can use corrugated inserts that are more eco-friendly. The products will still be protected from breakages and heat, and it will not change the way American cargo tracking companies secure the products. When choosing the type of material to pad their products, cargo shipping companies should opt to use the eco-friendly ones.

2. Using Recyclable Boxes

Most of the products handled by door to door shipping companies are usually housed in a box. Since the advent of door to door delivery services, customers have had to dispose the boxes after getting their product. This has since resulted in a lot of waste as people cannot find other ways to use the boxes. To change this, shipping companies are implementing a return policy where customers can give back the boxes after getting their products. The boxes are then recycled and used to package another customer’s product. Before the box wears out and is dumped, two or more customers may have utilized it.

Using recyclable boxes not only reduces the cost of operations but also resources used in producing the boxes. This makes direct cargo transportation services possible, as it allows your cargo to be transferred in less time and using a more eco-friendly fashion.

3. Resizing the Packages

When packaging a product, it is important to consider the size. You do not want to use big boxes that end up taking a lot of cargo space. Keeping the size of your packaging materials and boxes in check will ultimately save you space in the long run. As you utilize less cargo space, fewer cargo ships and cargo planes will be needed, and this will contribute to reducing the global carbon footprint.

The good news is that none of these methods compromise the security of the products. Customers want to know that their products are safe while in transit and that is why they utilize American cargo tracking services. Given the enormous role that American cargo tracking and shipping companies play in our economy, adopting eco-friendly practices is in the best interest of all stakeholders. There are only positive effects of adopting eco-friendly practices in shipping operations.