Small farms and gardens are also food suppliers, meaning that healthy packaging should be among their greatest concerns. Packaging often contains plastic, which can be problematic for those wishing to live in a more eco-friendly way.
There are steps a business can take to mitigate these problems, however. It is important to do research and convey your intentions to customers and the businesses with which you plan to collaborate. Marketing matters when it comes to green corporate policy.
Gather Data
The first step towards forming any company policy is to gather all relevant data you can possibly attain on the subject. In this case, one should research how much plastic is being used by your operation currently, how much is recycled, and where you can cut back.
It is also useful to know how your customers and clients react to your current plastic policies, and what they might like to see changed. You don’t have to be guided entirely by public opinion, but you should be mindful of it.
Alternative or Zero Packaging
The first change to implement is the way in which you package your products. There are two ways to go when it comes to packaging food. For some types of produce, you might consider having no packaging at all. Other alternative options exist, but most are more expensive than plastic and often less convenient. This must be factored into your budget accordingly.
Voluntary Alternatives
Your main concern might not be about the cost of packaging, but rather its convenience and whether customers will accept it. Voluntary alternatives are another option. This means having more than one packing option available for your produce.
This is obviously a more costly way of doing things as you’ll need to purchase multiple forms of packaging. Once you’ve had this policy for awhile, however, you’ll be able to better measure how customers will react, and thus adjust your spending accordingly.
Cross-Industry Partnership
There are ways to reduce plastic without changing anything on the front-facing end of your business. This means customers will be unaware that any change has taken place. This can be done simply by going into a partnership with recycling companies, and others that could make use of your plastic waste.
These partnerships can help deal not only with plastics produced by a small food company, but can also create an additional source of passive income as many businesses will buy your plastic waste and put it towards a productive use.
Governmental Assistance
Governmental programs exist to help those in your situation. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most popular method is the tax cut: a liberating way of helping a small company. It allows the business owner to use more of their funds as they please, and they are rewarded for reducing their plastic usage.
It can be complicated and confusing to apply for these types of assistance programs, so you may need to hire a professional to guide you. It’s best to begin with an accountant or financial planner.
Promote and Inform
A major part of eco-friendly policy is to increase awareness for your employees, customers and clients. This should be integrated into the policy from day one, and linked to your actions down the road. Your environmental team and PR department should meet and work together. Customers must know how much plastic you use, how it affects the environment, and what you can do to reduce use without jeopardizing your products.
Conclusion
Food businesses use quite a lot of plastic packaging, which can prove highly damaging to the environment. Many businesses in the industry are moving towards measures that lower their overall plastic use.