Introducing Ecocaps — the world’s first zero-plastic, sustainable packaging solution to single-use end caps.
Developed in-house using 100% recycled paper products, including a unique blend of newspaper, cardboard and pulp, Ecocaps are fully compostable, biodegradable and recyclable, eliminating the need for traditional plastic end caps and saving two pieces – or 10g worth – of plastic per shipment.
Two pieces of plastic might not sound like much, but, to put things into perspective, replacing the plastic caps on our cardboard shipping tubes with Ecocaps has already resulted in the removal of more than two million pieces of plastic from our logistics. And with the world currently producing a whopping 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year, and the global shipment of parcels expected to reach 256 billion by 2027, every sustainable swap adds up to a significant impact on reducing plastic waste.
We began phasing in our new sustainable packaging for all rolled prints and posters shipped from the UK back in February, with roll-out in the US scheduled for June 2024. But why now, and why Prodigi?
We’re always looking for more ways to improve our carbon footprint, including reducing our plastic consumption. And while we successfully eliminated clingfilm from our supply chain last year, we still have some way to go before reaching our goal of being 100% plastic-free. Achieving plastic-free status is something we’re actively working towards, and we plan on doing this through a series of continuous changes and improvements.
So, after ditching the clingfilm, the next logical step for us was to source an eco-friendly packaging alternative to the plastic end caps we use on our cardboard poster tubes. However, we quickly discovered that sourcing such a product was easier said than done, mainly due to the fact that it didn’t actually exist! We like a challenge, though, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and create our own. Enter, Ecocaps.
Our Ecocaps are water-resistant and have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they match the durability and water-resistancy of our cardboard postal tubes, and we’re confident that they’ll provide the required level of protection for your prints and posters during transit. Ecocaps also weigh 40% less than their plastic counterparts and take up less space when stacked, making them better optimised for transport and enabling us to ship them to your customers for less.
And it’s not just our packaging that’s becoming more eco-friendly; our print on demand products are, too. In case you didn’t know, we have an entire collection of eco-friendly products for you to design and sell online — from biodegradable phone cases with recyclable packaging to organic cotton tote bags with plastic-free packaging.
You can also check out our guide on how to sell more sustainably, which includes a free calendar of 2024 sustainability dates to help you plan your comms around.
The introduction of Ecocaps not only addresses a critical gap in the print on demand space, but also across the wider packaging industry. As well as supplying this product to eco-conscious businesses and sustainable packaging suppliers, we’re also working on an initiative to encourage other print on demand providers (including our competitors) to adopt these eco caps and work together with us to help reduce global plastic consumption.