Eco-Packaging & Sustainability Options for Shopify Merchants
Arka
Arka supplies sustainable packaging for ecommerce companies. With over 2,000 clients in 950 cities, Arka is a knowledgeable company that strives to help retailers “wow” their customers. The steps are simple - select the type of box and material you’d like for your packaging, determine the sizing and quantity of your packaging, and then brand it with your company colors, text, and images for free.
Shopify has partnered with Arka and Arka is available in the Shopify app store.
The company’s paper products are FSC certified, they use non-toxic ink, and they use compostable mailers.
Ecodrive
Ecodrive is not a packaging option, but it does provide customers the option to “plant a tree” to offset their online order’s emissions. The company plants mangroves, which are trees that absorb some of the highest amounts of carbon dioxide.
Shopify merchants can get the Ecodrive app through Shopify’s app store and can leverage this sustainable aspect of the purchasing process through marketing to drive sales.
This is a great way for customer's to make an impact at a super easy and low cost to them.
Corso Green Shipping Protection
Corso exists to help busy DTC brands tackle tough shipping issues in a sustainable way.
The Corso’s Shopify app was designed to allow customers the option to offset their online order's carbon footprint while also adding order protection (delivery insurance) to their order.
How it works:
Customers can add Green Shipping Protection to their order for 2% of their cart value, and Corso will calculate the carbon footprint of the order and both the cost to offset that footprint and the order protection fee should anything happen to the order, which is added at checkout. If there is an issue with the order, such as being lost or stollen, the customer can reach out to Corso instating of the shipping carrier, to have the order replaced with no charge to the merchant.
Precycle
Precycle is an app that Shopify merchants can use to add a plastic credit system to their checkout process. What does this mean? This is a way to empower customers to collect and recycle plastic waste.
How it works:
When checking out, customers can add a plastic compensation fee to their order total which will go toward funding plastic recycling programs.
This is a great option for a brand who uses plastic in their products, as it allows them to provide customers the ability to fund the recovery of their plastic footprint.
Handprint
Handprint is a Shopify app that allows businesses to choose from a selection of causes that a customers’ online purchases will help support. Projects include reforestation, ocean plastic cleanups, coral restoration, and education.
Handprint describes the purpose of their app this way: "Your customers can see the positive impact of their purchase on the planet during checkout (e.g. how much CO2 was captured by your trees or how much plastic you removed from coastal areas) This increases conversion, allowing you to become a better business and contribute to a better planet."
This app allows online and DTC brands to effortlessly become a better, more responsible business and this can increase cart conversion with customers who are sustainability motivated.
