Switching to eco-friendly packaging touches every stage of an order, not just the box. The product wrap, the void fill, the outer mailer or carton, the tape that seals it, the label on the outside, and what happens when a customer returns it, each one has an eco-friendly option and a traditional one, and getting the mix right is what actually moves the needle on waste, cost and customer perception. This is a complete, practical checklist for ecommerce businesses: what “eco-friendly” means at each stage, how to avoid the confusing claims around it, what it costs, and how Carewell Group supplies the whole chain from one place.
Get the terms right first, to avoid customer confusion
A lot of packaging marketing uses “eco-friendly,” “green,” “recyclable,” “biodegradable” and “compostable” as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and using the wrong one on your own packaging is a genuine compliance risk in Australia, not just a marketing nuance.
- Recyclable means the material can be processed by existing recycling systems if sorted correctly. Kerbside-recyclable is a stronger, more specific claim than “recyclable” alone, since plenty of technically recyclable material is not accepted kerbside.
- Compostable means it breaks down under specific composting conditions (home or industrial), verified to a standard such as AS 4736 (industrial) or AS 5810 (home). It does not mean it breaks down in landfill or the ocean.
- Biodegradable is the weakest and least regulated of these terms. Almost everything is biodegradable eventually; the word says nothing about how long it takes or under what conditions.
- The Australasian Recycling Label (ARL), run through the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), is the standard on-pack system for telling an Australian customer exactly how to dispose of each packaging component. Products verified through APCO’s PREP (Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal) can carry an accurate ARL rather than a vague green claim.
Getting this right matters commercially too: Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets, set by APCO, call for 100% of packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable, 70% of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted, an average 50% recycled content across packaging, and the phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics. Businesses that get ahead of this now are not scrambling to relabel and re-source packaging later under an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model.
The end-to-end eco packaging checklist
Work through an order the way a customer experiences it, and fix each stage on its own terms.
1. Primary or product packaging
The pack the product itself sits in. For food, this means trays and containers; for cosmetics and health products, jars, tubes and pouches. Look for fibre-based alternatives to plastic where the product allows it, sugarcane bagasse and moulded-fibre trays for food, and recyclable rPET or CPET trays where a clear or freezer-to-oven format is needed. See CPET trays for the food-safe recyclable option.
2. Protective packaging and void fill
Bubble wrap is the default most businesses reach for, and it is one of the easiest things to remove without losing protection. Paper-based void fill and recyclable honeycomb padding cushion just as well through geometry rather than trapped air, and both go straight into kerbside paper recycling.
3. The outer, mailer or carton
This is where sizing matters as much as material. A kraft paper mailer replaces a plastic satchel for soft goods, and a right-sized carton beats an oversized one on both material use and freight cost, covered below. See custom packaging boxes for right-sized carton options.
4. Sealing the parcel
Standard plastic packing tape is a small item with an outsized problem: many recycling facilities ask customers to remove it before the carton goes in kerbside recycling, and if it is not removed it can contaminate the paper recycling stream. Water activated (gummed paper) tape bonds into the carton’s own fibres and goes into the recycling stream with the box, no removal step, no contamination. It is also stronger once dry, since the bond becomes part of the board rather than sitting on top of it.
5. Labelling and branding
Printed kraft tape and paper mailers carry your logo the same way plastic tape does, but the print sits on a recyclable surface. This is also where the ARL should appear if you are making a recyclability claim, printed clearly, not as a vague leaf icon with no verification behind it.
6. Returns
A returns-friendly pack, a resealable mailer, a carton that reopens cleanly, keeps a returned item recoverable in its original packaging rather than needing fresh material for the reverse trip. This is as much a waste-reduction lever as the outbound choice.
Packaging tape by business type
Tape gets treated as an afterthought, but the right choice changes cost, speed and the sustainability story at the same time. The choice differs by what you actually ship.
| Business type | Recommended tape | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion, apparel, general ecommerce | Standard kraft water activated tape | Light to medium cartons, high volume, recyclable with the box, fast to apply with a dispenser. |
| Food, meal kits, grocery | Reinforced water activated tape | Denser, heavier cartons and cold-chain stacking need the added fibreglass-filament strength. See reinforced vs non-reinforced water activated tape. |
| Industrial, bulk and palletised freight | Reinforced water activated tape, applied H-pattern top and bottom | Heavy, stacked loads through multiple handling points need a seal stronger than the carton itself. |
| Subscription boxes, beauty, gifting | Custom-printed kraft water activated tape | The seal is part of the unboxing experience; branded tape does that on a recyclable surface instead of a plastic one. |
| Where a pressure-sensitive tape is unavoidable | A recycled-content or paper-backed pressure-sensitive tape | Some products or climates still call for pressure-sensitive tape; choose the lowest-impact version available rather than defaulting to plain plastic. |
How eco packaging actually saves money
The idea that sustainable packaging always costs more does not hold up once you look at where packaging spend actually goes. Three mechanisms do most of the work:
- Right-sizing cuts freight, not just material. Carriers bill on the greater of actual and dimensional (cubic) weight, so an oversized carton or mailer is charged for the empty space inside it, on every single parcel. Switching to a right-sized, lighter mailer where the product allows it reduces both material cost and the freight bill at the same time.
- Paper tape removes a hidden cost: rework and contamination. Plastic tape that is not removed before recycling can see a whole load of cardboard rejected or downgraded by a recycler. Water activated tape avoids that step and that risk entirely.
- Less material by weight, without losing protection. Honeycomb and moulded-fibre padding use geometry rather than trapped air or bulk foam, so the same protection is delivered with a lighter, cheaper pack.
None of this requires an all-at-once overhaul. Most businesses switch the highest-volume, easiest item first (tape is usually it, since it touches every parcel and the cost difference at volume is small), then move to mailers and void fill, then tackle primary packaging as product ranges are refreshed.
Eco packaging vs traditional packaging
| Traditional | Eco-friendly alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Sealing | Plastic pressure-sensitive tape | Water activated (paper) tape, bonds into the board, no removal before recycling |
| Void fill | Bubble wrap, air pillows | Paper void fill, honeycomb padding |
| Mailer | Poly satchel | Kraft paper mailer, resealable |
| Food tray | Standard plastic tray | Sugarcane bagasse, rPET or CPET recyclable tray |
| End of life | Landfill or contaminates recycling | Kerbside recyclable with the carton, or compostable to a verified standard |
| Customer perception | Neutral to negative for sustainability-aware buyers | Positive, particularly when the ARL is printed accurately rather than a vague claim |
What switching actually looks like
A typical path for a growing ecommerce business: start with the tape, since it is a like-for-like swap that needs a dispenser and a roll change, not a redesign. Move to the mailer or carton range next, right-sizing at the same time so the freight saving and the material saving land together. Then look at void fill and, for food or beauty brands, the primary pack itself. Carewell’s own work with brands moving in this direction, including an ongoing collaboration with meal brand Mini Dins on compostable and recyclable tray formats, follows this same sequence: material selection matched to the product, verified against ARL and PREP, then rolled out without disrupting how the product already ships.
How Carewell Group delivers it end to end
Carewell Group is an Australian packaging manufacturer and supplier, certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018, and an APCO member. Rather than sourcing tape from one supplier, mailers from another and trays from a third, Carewell supplies the whole chain:
- Water activated and reinforced tape, plain and custom printed.
- Kraft paper mailers and recyclable honeycomb padded mailers.
- Right-sized cartons, paper void fill and edge protection.
- Food packaging: CPET, APET and PP trays, and sugarcane bagasse and moulded-fibre alternatives.
- Custom sizing, print and specification support to match the format to your product and freight lane.
See the full detail on Carewell’s certifications and standards and the company profile for the complete range. For health and beauty specifically, see eco packaging for health and beauty brands; for the cost question directly, see switching to eco packaging without increasing costs.
Carewell can meet all your packaging needs for your business. Talk to our expert and we will work to your required MOQ. Call +61 (02) 8760 1491 or request samples and a packaging review.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between recyclable, compostable and biodegradable packaging?
Recyclable can be processed by existing recycling systems if sorted correctly. Compostable breaks down under specific, verified composting conditions (AS 4736 industrial or AS 5810 home). Biodegradable is an unregulated, much weaker claim that says nothing about timeframe or conditions.
What is the Australasian Recycling Label?
The ARL is Australia’s standard on-pack labelling system, run through APCO, that tells a customer exactly how to dispose of each part of the packaging. Businesses verify their claim through APCO’s PREP tool before printing it.
Does eco-friendly packaging cost more?
Not necessarily. Right-sizing cuts freight cost, water activated tape removes recycling rework and contamination, and lighter, geometry-based void fill uses less material for the same protection. Most businesses switch tape first because the cost difference at volume is small and the impact is immediate.
Where should an ecommerce business start?
Sealing tape, since it is a simple swap with no redesign, then the mailer or carton range with right-sizing, then void fill, then primary packaging as products are refreshed.
Can Carewell supply the whole chain, tape to cartons to mailers to trays?
Yes. Carewell supplies water activated and reinforced tape, kraft and honeycomb mailers, right-sized cartons and void fill, and food trays including CPET, APET and sugarcane bagasse, as one supplier.
Sources
- Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, 2025 National Packaging Targets: apco.org.au
- Australasian Recycling Label and PREP: apco.org.au
- Australia Post, cubic weight and parcel sizing: auspost.com.au
Written by Alif Vasaya, digital and content strategy, Carewell Group. Carewell Group is an Australian packaging, food packaging, tape, industrial safety and 3PL supplier serving all of Australia. Last updated 17 September 2026.