Guide to Custom Printed Sustainable Packaging and How It Saves Costs
What is custom printed sustainable packaging?
For this guide, custom printed sustainable packaging means branded packaging produced on cardboard, corrugated board or thick card stock. It is considered sustainable because paper and card are widely recyclable, can be made using responsibly sourced materials, and offer a practical alternative to many single-use plastic packaging formats (you may also be interested in reading our article on How to Replace Single-Use Plastics in Print Campaigns).
Cardboard packaging such as retail boxes, mailing boxes, presentation boxes and product sleeves can be printed with a bespoke design and your own branding. Artwork can be supplied by the customer or created in-house by Blackmore, helping brands achieve a professional, memorable finish while choosing a more environmentally responsible packaging material.
Why choose sustainable packaging printing?
Reduces Reliance on Single-use Plastics:
Sustainable packaging helps businesses reduce their reliance on single-use plastics without compromising presentation, protection or brand impact. It also supports customer expectations for lower-impact packaging, improves recyclability, and can form part of a wider ESG or sustainability strategy.
Availability of Eco-friendly Coatings:
Eco-friendly in-line coatings offer a practical alternative to traditional lamination. Instead of adding a thin layer of single-use, non-recyclable plastic to laminate a print project, water-based coatings can instead be applied as part of the print process. These coatings are recyclable and biodegradable, and can create an oil-resistant or water-resistant barrier on printed materials. They are particularly useful for products such as soap boxes, where protection and appearance both matter.
How does sustainable printing save costs?
Lower Material-Related Costs:
Choosing custom printed cardboard packaging can reduce costs in several ways: by lowering material-related compliance fees, reducing waste, improving production efficiency, and helping customers move away from more expensive or less recyclable packaging formats.
Lower EPR Costs:
Under the UK Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, the 2025 to 2026 base fee for paper and card is £196 per tonne, compared with £423 per tonne for plastic. That means paper and card packaging has a base fee that is £227 per tonne lower than plastic, before considering any further savings linked to recyclability, material weight, design efficiency or future fee modulation.
Powered by Green Energy:
All Blackmore print is powered by green energy, reducing the environmental cost of production and helping keep energy-related overheads under control. These efficiencies are reflected in our pricing, giving customers packaging that is both commercially competitive and environmentally responsible.
Carbon Balanced Options:
As a certified Carbon Balanced Printer, in partnership with the World Land Trust, Blackmore can carbon balance your print projects. For any unavoidable carbon created during production, we help balance the impact by supporting World Land Trust projects in the UK and around the world.
Energy Efficient Presses and Technology:
Our new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient print presses deliver a 60% reduction in power use compared with our previous machines, helping reduce production costs and the overall environmental footprint of each print run.
By running process-less plate technology on our litho presses, Blackmore saves 360,000 litres of water per year, reducing both resource consumption and the hidden environmental costs of production.
Blackmore is also the first printer to use a new type of low-energy drying system, saving 30% energy when drying inks. Combined with efficient presses and greener materials, this helps keep sustainable print practical, scalable and cost-effective.
Summary
Blackmore’s Managing Director, Andrew Robbins, says, “We aim to help brands make packaging decisions that are better for the planet and better for the bottom line. By combining recyclable paper and card materials with efficient, low-energy production, sustainable packaging becomes a practical commercial choice - not just an environmental one.”
Custom printed sustainable packaging allows brands to reduce plastic use, improve recyclability and present products beautifully, while also controlling costs. With lower EPR base fees for paper and card compared with plastic, plus Blackmore’s green energy, Carbon Balanced Print options, efficient presses, water-saving plate technology and low-energy drying system, sustainable packaging can be both a responsible and commercially smart choice.
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