Tell Your Brand's Sustainable Packaging Story
Telling Your Sustainable Packaging Story: A Complete Guide
Thoughtful marketing and clear labeling turn your sustainability investment into a business advantage, driving loyalty, building trust, and boosting ROI.
In a landscape where consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of their purchases, your packaging can be a powerful storytelling tool. It’s one of the most tangible brand touchpoints—and one of the most overlooked.
This guide walks through how to effectively communicate your sustainable packaging efforts, from smart labeling strategies to certifications and pitfalls to avoid.
By the end, you will be equipped with the tools and insights needed to transform your packaging into a compelling brand asset.
Why Clear Labels and Transparent Communication Matter
Your packaging might be made with 100% recycled content and printed with algae ink, but it doesn't count for much if your customers don’t know that.
In today’s saturated market, brands must make sustainable choices and clearly communicate them. Sustainability is complex, and most consumers aren’t experts. Clear, specific messaging helps:
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Educate and inspire customers to make aligned, conscious choices
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Build trust through transparency and specificity
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Reinforce brand values at every customer touchpoint
Unclear or generic language can confuse or mislead, and leave your customers guessing. That’s why intentional messaging is key to turning your packaging into a loyalty and advocacy engine.
In short, your packaging can either quietly arrive or boldly reinforce the mission your brand stands for.
Best Practices: How to Label Thoughtfully and Accurately
Labeling your packaging well doesn’t have to be complicated—it just needs to be intentional.
Here are concrete steps you can take to ensure your labeling measures up.
Start With Facts, Not Fluff
Labels should be specific, informative, and easy to understand. Here are examples of strong, trustworthy statements:
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"Made with 100% recycled content, including 80% post-consumer waste."
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"Printed with algae ink, a breakthrough carbon-negative innovation."
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"This box was custom-sized to eliminate excess waste."
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"Recycle me curbside with mixed paper."
These statements go beyond buzzwords and give consumers the details they need to trust your brand and packaging.
Avoid Vague or Misleading Claims
Phrases like "eco-friendly," "biodegradable," or "plant-based" can be problematic unless clarified.
Avoid:
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“Compostable” (unless certified and appropriate for the product type)
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“Landfill degradable” (these products emit methane, a potent GHG)
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“Omnidegradable,” “bio-assimilate,” and other undefined terms
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Using certification logos you haven’t officially earned
Instead, aim for specificity. Say exactly that if a mailer is made with 60% recycled content and is recyclable in thin-film streams.
QR Codes and Dynamic Transparency
If your packaging specs change frequently or you want to go deeper than print allows, consider a QR code that links to a dedicated sustainability webpage. This allows real-time updates and adds education without the cost of reprinting.
When done right, your labels do more than inform—inspire action and elevate your customer experience.
Third-Party Labels and Certifications
Third-party certifications are a powerful way to legitimize your sustainability claims and build customer trust. While no certification is perfect, these organizations can help you communicate your eco-claims to customers in an objective, standardized way.
Consider pursuing or incorporating:
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How2Recycle: Offers standardized, easy-to-understand recycling instructions for consumers. Ideal for eliminating confusion about disposal.
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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Validates that paper-based materials are sourced responsibly from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic, and ecological needs of present and future generations.
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GreenSeal, USDA BioPreferred, or BPI: Applicable for packaging with verified compostable or biobased content (if these are appropriate for your product).
Important: Only use third-party logos if you are officially certified.** Misusing these icons—whether intentional or accidental—can be misleading and may violate the legal terms of the certification body. Doing so risks damaging your reputation and customer trust.
When used correctly, these certifications provide instant credibility and signal to your customers that your sustainability messaging is more than marketing—it’s verified, real, and traceable.
For more help, explore our:
Examples: How to Create Effective On-Pack Messaging
When you start showcasing your eco-friendly packaging decisions, it can be easy to say or promote something that inadvertently misleads your customers.
Here, we share guidance on powerful phrases to use to describe your packaging, and claims we recommend avoiding as they can be misleading and inaccurate.
Phrases We Love Seeing on Sustainable Packaging
The following are examples of phrases we encourage you to use or draw from, infusing these concepts with your brand’s unique tone and personality. Please ensure that the phrases you land on accurately describe the packaging you have chosen.
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This packaging is made with X% recycled content and Y% post-consumer waste.
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This packaging is made with recovered trash. Keep the cycle going by recycling me!
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This packaging was printed with Algae Ink, a breakthrough carbon-negative innovation.
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Recycle me with mixed paper.
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Look at me, I’m plastic-free!
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Reuse this package for returns or a second shipment, or recycle it at a thin-film drop off location or through EcoEnclose’s Take Back Program.
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This package was manufactured in the USA.
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This box was custom-sized for your shipment. No unnecessary extra material was used in this box - #wehatewaste.
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This packaging was chosen for its low carbon footprint.
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I may look like just another box, but I’m actually made entirely with trash. Please recycle me so I can stay on my circular path.
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Please don’t send me to the scary landfill! Recycle me curbside so I can get a new life!
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I’m naturally biodegradable so I won’t clog our waterways or litter our lands. But please recycle me so I can become something useful again soon.
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This packaging was Made in Ohio with recycled waste generated in the midwest USA.
While the right words can spark trust, the wrong ones can undermine your sustainability strategy.
Misleading Phrases to Avoid
These phrases can inadvertently send the wrong message or lead to improper disposal.
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Compostable Packaging | Compost Me: Most compost facilities don’t accept packaging, and recycling is generally the preferred end-of-life path for unsoiled paper.
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Degradable | Omnidegradable | Bio-Assimilate: Undefined and unregulated terms that often mislead.
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Landfill Me | Biodegradable in the Landfill: Promotes methane emissions—one of the top GHG contributors in the U.S.
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Biodegradable Packaging: Instead, consider “naturally biodegradable” if applicable, and encourage recycling.
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Unauthorized Certification Labels: Never use a third-party certification logo unless you are officially certified.
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Vague Buzzwords: Replace “eco-friendly” or “green” with verifiable data.
Be Specific and Transparent
Whatever exact phrasing you land on, transparency is key. Specific details help your customers understand and trust your packaging claims:
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Include % of recycled content, broken down into PCW and PIW
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State where and how it was made
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Explain how to reuse or recycle the package
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Highlight certifications—but only those you hold
Greater transparency helps you build customer trust, strengthen your brand reputation, and create a conversation about long-term change.
The best messaging isn’t just accurate and memorable, motivating, and aligned with how your customers think and act.
Bring Your Story to Life: Channels & Touchpoints
When your sustainability story is told consistently—from box to browser to social feed—it builds momentum, trust, and brand affinity that lasts. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
On Packaging
Your packaging is the most tangible brand touchpoint. Whether you prefer subtle design or bold storytelling, use your boxes, mailers, or tape to:
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Explain packaging material choices
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Include icons or QR codes for end-of-life instructions
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Highlight sustainability features with short, memorable messages
Even if you're using stock packaging, you can amplify your impact with:
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We Care Cards, which include QR codes linking to reuse or recycle instructions
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"Thoughtfully Packaged" Water-Activated Tape to reinforce your commitment at the moment of unboxing
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Packing slips printed with a message about your sustainable packaging investment
A Note on Poly Film Recycling Information
Plastic products that are labeled thin-film recyclable are fully recyclable through source-separated streams, available at grocery store drop-off locations, or through EcoEnclose's poly take-back program.
To help your customers find a recycling drop-off location for their thin film packaging, you can include this QR code to direct them to Earth 911's Drop Off Directory.
On Your Website
Brands are increasingly developing Sustainability or Values pages on their websites. These pages help users understand your brand’s commitment to sustainability and other focus issues.
When executed well, they give your community insight into how you make decisions and why those decisions have a positive impact. A great sustainability page can include:
Framework: Your sustainability approach and how packaging fits into it.
Values: Your criteria for making eco-conscious decisions.
Goals: Clear targets and how you’re tracking progress.
Supply Chain: Packaging specs and vendor highlights.
Journey: A timeline showing your ongoing efforts and improvements.
Framework: Your sustainability approach and how packaging fits into it.
Values: Your criteria for making eco-conscious decisions.
Goals: Clear targets and how you’re tracking progress.
Supply Chain: Packaging specs and vendor highlights.
Journey: A timeline showing your ongoing efforts and improvements.
These pages deepen transparency and show customers that your brand is committed to sustainability beyond buzzwords.
Partnership Badges for Web Use
To help you get started, here are some ideas of language you can include alongside these badges:
[Our Brand] understands that our impact doesn’t stop once our products are produced. How we package and ship them matters as well. That’s why we've invested in eco-friendly, circular packaging that is 100% recycled and recyclable. Learn more.
[Our Brand] is proud to work with EcoEnclose to ensure we package and ship your orders in ways that align with our eco values. Our packaging is recycled and recyclable, and manufactured domestically and ethically.
By choosing recycled packaging, [Our Brand] has saved X lbs of emissions, X BTUs of energy, and X gallons of water. We are helping to build a more circular economy in the long term.
On Social Media
Celebrate your packaging wins publicly with:
“Pack an order with me” reels or TikTok’s
Explainer videos on why you chose specific packaging options
Unboxing videos from customers
Behind-the-scenes stories about your material sourcing or decision-making
These formats are engaging and turn your sustainability story into a community-driven conversation.
Showcase Your Commitment with EcoEnclose Tools
EcoEnclose tools aren’t just for checking boxes—they’re powerful assets to pave the way for brands that want to lead, educate, and inspire.
EcoReports
Our EcoReports provide detailed information about the environmental impact of your packaging, such as carbon savings, energy conserved, and water reduced. These reports help your customers understand the real-world benefits of their purchase.
Videos
Our videos convey what is uniquely eco-friendly and circular about your packaging, without all those words that no one has time to read. Use these to help your customers learn why you chose recycled, recyclable packaging.
EcoEnclose Sustainability Icons
Our sustainability icons and digital badges library can be used across your website, packaging, social media, and marketing materials. These assets help you communicate key features like recycled content, algae ink, and domestic sourcing.
Support for Custom Branding
If you're investing in custom-branded packaging, EcoEnclose makes it easy to integrate your sustainability messaging directly into your unboxing experience. Our team supports:
Custom printing recommendations that incorporate sustainability icons and data-driven messaging
Sustainability-focused artwork guidance to balance design with storytelling
Dieline and layout support to ensure clarity and impact on every panel of your packaging
We’ll help you highlight the environmental impact of your packaging, communicate your brand values clearly, and inspire customer loyalty through every touchpoint—from outer mailers to inner packaging and inserts.
EcoEnclose Is Your Partner In Sustainable Packaging
At EcoEnclose, we make it easy for conscious brands to tell their packaging story the right way.
We offer a robust suite of tools, content, and expertise to help you connect authentically with your customers:
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Custom EcoReports that quantify the water, energy, and emissions savings of your packaging
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A growing library of downloadable assets—from icons and labels to social media graphics and email banners
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Sample copy and messaging inspiration to help you express your brand values clearly and legally
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We Care Cards, custom tape, and other low-lift ways to tell your story—even if you're not ready for custom packaging
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Access to videos, marketing templates, QR codes, and sustainability storytelling guidance
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Direct support and guidance from our team of sustainability and packaging experts
Whether you're looking to meet compliance standards or build customer loyalty through transparency, we’re here to help you amplify your packaging decisions and develop your voice as a leader in sustainability.
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