Packaging is not just a pretty face. It has many other important roles to play too.

From protecting the goods within, to providing a surface on which to print essential legally required information about them. And in particular, for the food and pharmaceutical sectors.

So if packaging is a must-have, ensuring it is environmentally-friendly should also be a must.

However, recent research from consumer group Which? found that only a third of the UK’s best-selling branded groceries has packaging that is fully recyclable. With 41% not clearly labelling their packaging so customers can see if it can be recycled.

Not only is this surprising and disappointing but unnecessary too. Producing good quality fully-functioning sustainable packaging is practical and possible. Which is why many of our customers are already doing it so successfully.

For example, takeaway Indian food producer Mandira’s Kitchen uses biodegradable food trays and recycled paper sleeves. And a leading wellness product company favours the very impressive and innovative Kraft paperboard – an uncoated, unbleached, lightweight material which is extremely strong and durable. Making it ideal for health and food packaging which has to deal with fluctuating temperatures.

At Stag Print we are always keen to work with companies which consider their impact on the planet. Which is why we have our own established environmental policy and only use 100% paper and board from responsible sources that are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) accredited.

This means that many of our other printing and packaging customers – including Bruce’s Doggy Day Care, St Mary’s University and Profiler – automatically embrace the green is clean approach.

While there are many challenges in the business world right now, small decisions make big differences, so ticking the sustainable packaging box really is a no-brainer.