Green shipping has been a hot topic for the past 10 years, due to the growth of the Internet, millions of people worldwide are ordering and buying a wide range of products from all over the globe. Logistics companies are put under pressure to use the greenest methods possible to cut down on pollution and emissions, especially the marine shipping industry.
The Amazon Example
Amazon were actually one of the first companies to embrace change, though they already had shipped most of their products in cardboard which were able to be recycled, they went that extra mile. Amazon actually received an approval for a new patent which allowed them to give the customer and the Eco-friendly amongst us, the choice of choosing a greener shipping option.
For example, an option they talked about may be using a smaller shipping company that uses electric vehicles to deliver the packages, another option would be using packaging that uses materials made from tree farms or manufactured hemp. Aside from this, they are also working closely with electronic manufacturers to re-package their products without all of the plastic twists and ties which holds the product in the cardboard boxes.
If you ask me, Amazon are doing a fantastic job, find out more here.
Marine Shipping
When it comes to shipping worldwide, shipping via Sea is one of the best options, especially when the product is too big to ship by traditional methods. We all know that international shipping has an enormous amount and direct impact on our environment, with every single nautical mile, ships are spitting out tonnes of hazardous waste. As a Business, this may be the only way to ship and get the goods to your customers, at the same time you are contradicting yourself on your Eco-mandate.
There is however, a solution. There is a fuel called LNG (Liquefied natural gas), as the name suggests, it is a natural gas that is transformed into a liquid form, it does the same job harbors a secret. LNG is odorless, colorless, non-toxic and also it is non-corrosive. A few large shipping companies have already made the switch, by 2020 almost all companies will do the same.
General Business Packing
Although paper is recycled, using trees and cutting them down for the purposes of junk mail is not sustainable at all. Lets face it, trees take 50-500 years to grow and the rate we are using tree paper is shocking. If your business prints a newspaper or some sort of newsletter, why not use hemp. Hemp is a very sustainable way of producing paper as the growth of hemp is much quicker than the traditional tree, it literally yields 10 tonnes per acre every four months. Though the price tag may be a little bit more pricey than the usual paper methods, your customers will love you for it and so will the planet.
More alternatives to paper are:
- Kenaf – uses 15-25% less energy than pine to make pulp.
- Bamboo – This grows very fast and can produce up to 4-5 times the fibers of commercial trees.
- Agri-pulp – Uses agricultural waste with consumer waste to produce a paper.
- Cotton – A personal favorite of mine as it comes in a wide range of colors.
As a Business, even if your company was to buy printing paper but made from hemp, it is a big start into going green. There are plenty of ways to save the planet and become an Eco-friendly company, no matter the industry. For example, the Royal British Legion where I live and work use hemp playing cards in their card tournaments, some players in the darts teams use bamboo darts, there are literally tonnes of ways you can make the changes.
Additional Resources
- Consumer Energy Center – For more information on LNG Fuel.
- CrateXGroup – A green industrial packing company.
- ConservaTree – Paper alternatives & where to buy.
