Emerging materials like mycelium, seaweed, and algae push the boundaries of what sustainable packaging feedstocks can look like. Early studies show that these feedstocks can restore their environments and sequester carbon. Packaging made from these feedstocks are often compostable (especially early on when they lack scale for recyclability) and offer brands a unique landscape of options beyond paper and plastic.

EcoEnclose takes sustainable packaging up a notch by using carbon-sequestering Algae Ink™ and partnering with Sway to explore seaweed-based alternatives to plastic.

Start with a simple packaging audit by listing your main materials—boxes, mailers, tape, labels, and inserts. Track what each is made of, how often you use them, and how they’re disposed of (recycled, composted, or trashed). Include any packaging from partners like co-packers or 3PLs. This focused audit highlights your most significant impact areas and quick wins to reduce waste and cost.

Set clear, focused sustainability goals—don’t try to fix everything at once. Decide what matters most for your brand: cutting plastic, reducing carbon, sourcing locally, or improving recyclability. Small brands might prioritize curbside recycling, while larger ones might want to tackle SKU consolidation or ESG targets. Whatever your size, clear priorities will inform every decision you’ll make on your choice of materials, vendors, and trade-offs.

Check your packaging for oversized boxes, excessive void fill, or redundant inserts.. Measure your top-selling products and compare them to current box sizes. Right-sizing reduces material use, shipping costs, and emissions—often without changing suppliers. Simplify wherever possible by swapping plastic wrap for paper sleeves or cutting custom fillers. The leaner the package, the lighter the footprint.

Focus first on the components you use the most—usually outer packaging like mailers and shipping boxes. These drive most of your cost and impact. For instance, a high-volume item that’s currently non-recyclable or made from virgin plastic offers a far bigger opportunity than a small-run thank-you card printed on recycled paper.

Find out which materials have the weakest end-of-life outcomes, like non-recyclable plastics or mixed materials, and prioritize replacing them. Improvements here scale fast and make a big impression on customers.

Test before committing. Run small batch tests—500 to 1,000 units if you’re DTC, or a limited rollout across a single fulfillment hub if you're enterprise. Monitor damage rates, pack times, cost changes, and customer feedback, especially around recyclability or composting. Also, check if materials are compatible with your own fulfillment systems and carriers. Small pilots can save you from costly mistakes.

Sustainable packaging is also about creating a system that scales. For smaller brands, that could mean simple packaging swaps with low MOQs. For large, multi-SKU operations, it often means full system audits, design recommendations, and support for scaling sustainably across fulfillment centers.

From startups to enterprise brands, EcoEnclose partners with brands to create packaging solutions that withstand transit challenges and honor environmental commitments.