Eco-Friendly Protective Packaging Options
Posted By on Oct 27th 2021
Eco-Friendly Protective Packaging Options
by Saloni Doshi • published July 29, 2025 • 7 min read
After putting so much care into your products, you want them to arrive safely and create a memorable unboxing experience. The good news? Protective packaging has come a long way from traditional bubble wrap® and plastic air pillows. Today, there are eco-friendly cushioning and void fill solutions that protect your items while aligning with your sustainability goals.
In this guide, we break down four key protective functions and the packaging options that best serve them:
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Individual Product Protection – Wrapping fragile items like glassware, bottles, candles, or pottery to prevent breakage from drops or collisions inside the box.
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Void Fill – Filling empty space in shipping boxes to block and brace items, reducing movement and damage during transit.
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Cushioning & Edge Crush Protection – Guarding items such as books or other solid products against corner and edge damage when boxes are stacked or impacted.
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Scuff & Dust Protection – Providing a simple protective layer for products like clothing, keeping them clean and free from surface damage.
Source: EcoEnclose
GreenWrap
Individual product protection
What it is: Die cut honeycomb paper that ships flat and is expanded through a dispenser that creates cushioning that can be molded around your products for protection and beautiful presentation. Curbside recyclable and naturally biodegradable.
Great for: Glass bottles, pottery, art pieces, candles, glassware, books that may be subject to edge crush concerns, and more. GreenWrap work really well for companies who sell a variety of fragile goods, all of which are differently sized, that need individual wrapping and protection.
Did You Know? If your company goes through 20 or more cases of GreenWrap each year, consider going with a manual, refillable dispenser instead. Click here to learn more.
Source: Flexi-Hex
Flexi-Hex Air Sleeve
Individual product protection
What it is: Lightweight honeycomb sleeve that ships flat, and then easily expands to be wrapped around fragile items such as glassware, beauty products, and more. Made with at least 76% recycled content, curbside recyclable and naturally biodegradable.
Great for: Glass bottles, candles, glassware, dishware, and more. Flexi-Hex is a great solution for companies that sell consistently sized items that each need individual wrapping and protection. Flexi-Hex is more operationally efficient than GreenWrap; however, the existing sizes must work for your business. Additionally, it does not provide top and bottom product protection, so consider adding one of the below cushioning or void fill options.
Source:
Packaging Paper
Void Fill (Bracing, Blocking)
What it is: Packaging paper arrives in rolls (24” in length and 9” diameter rolls). Just tear off the length you need, scrunch it up, and use it to fill empty spaces in your shipping boxes. This type of void fill provides blocking and bracing support within a box, preventing your products from moving side to side or up and down. Our packaging paper is 100% recycled, curbside recyclable and naturally biodegradable. Some companies also use packaging paper to wrap products, providing light denting and scuffing protection.
Great for: Any company that ships in boxes that have excess space. Even the best fitted box will often have empty space to fill, based on how your products are shaped and how many products are being sent in an individual box. Packaging paper also allows one company that sells a variety of SKUs to comfortably and sustainably ship using a streamlined set of shipping box sizes.
Source: EcoEnclose
SpiroPack Nest Eco
Individual Product Protection, Void Fill, Cushioning
What it is: Spiral-cut paper strands that ship flat and “fluff” into lightweight, voluminous nest fill. SpiroPack takes up minimal storage space yet provides exceptional void fill and cushioning once expanded. Made from 100% recycled content (Kraft) or 95% recycled content (White), it is FSC® certified, curbside recyclable, and naturally biodegradable.
Great for: Brands that want both protective packaging and an elevated unboxing experience. Perfect for subscription boxes, gift sets, candles, glassware, or any product that benefits from decorative cushioning. Its lightweight design helps block and brace items in transit while enhancing presentation.
Source: EcoEnclose
Tissue Paper
Dust Protection
What it is: Thin, lightly calendared paper that can be used to wrap individual items to protect them from smudges or dust while also creating a beautiful presentation. 100% recycled, either curbside recyclable or compostable (depending on the municipality), and naturally biodegradable.
Great for: Wrapping books, frames, apparel, soap, jewelry, accessories, and more. We recommend tissue paper for products that don’t need damage or edge crush protection, but that you want to protect from dust and want to present beautifully.
About EcoEnclose
EcoEnclose helps forward-thinking brands deliver on their sustainability goals with innovative, research-driven packaging solutions designed for circularity.