Encourage Composting with QR Codes on Your Tissue Paper

noissue custom tissue paper by @postscript.designs

As a business, sustainability is about doing more than simply choosing more eco-friendly products. If you opt for more sustainable packaging, that’s a wonderful thing. But a movement like this is all about closing the loop. That means the final link in the chain – the act of composting, recycling, or reusing – is ultimately in the hands of your customers.

As a world, if we want to move the needle with sustainable packaging, we need to ensure that everyone knows what to do with a piece of eco-friendly material once they’re done with it. Whether it’s compostable custom tissue paper or a reusable tote bag, opting for a sustainable modality won’t reduce environmental impact if your customers don’t know how to get rid of it properly.

It’s an information game. Luckily, modern technology affords us a wonderfully simple way to educate customers on how to dispose of eco-friendly products the right way, all without increasing the load on your business: the humble QR code.

In this article, we’ll review why it’s so important to educate your customers on sustainable methods of disposal such as composting and recycling. We’ll also take a look at using TapKit, a dynamic QR code tool you can build right in to your custom sustainable packaging.

Customers Close the Loop

No matter how sustainable a given piece of packaging is, the environmental benefits of said packaging are cut in half if customers don’t know how to follow through. Therefore, if we want to responsibly adopt sustainability practices into our businesses, we need to take the extra step. Namely, we need to educate.

With over forty percent of people in a recent survey holding plastic pollution as their top sustainability concern, and seventy-seven percent of participants indicating a want to learn more about living sustainably, it’s clear. Customers want to know how to do it better. But many encounter significant barriers, including limited access to commercial composting facilities, lax recycling policies, and - one of the largest - education. They simply don’t know how, but studies like the one just mentioned indicate that they want to know.

By arming customers with the knowledge they need to appropriately dispose of sustainable packaging, we allow them to close the reduce, reuse, recycle loop. This drives better sustainability outcomes, whether the material in question is food scraps or personalized tissue paper. Up until now, the problem has always been one of convenience: how is a business meant to reliably educate their customers about how to dispose of myriad products appropriately?

The answer, at least in the packaging industry, comes down to something delightfully simple: a dynamic QR code built right into said packaging!

How to Maximize Impact with a QR Code

Incorporating a QR code into your custom tissue paper design opens a portal for your customers, allowing them to access sustainability information that is directly relevant to a given product. This connection is a two-way street, offering a way for them to reconnect with your brand and vice versa.

Furthermore, teaching them how to properly dispose of a given piece of packaging communicates your brand’s values far better than any blurb or environmentally-friendly seal. It’s an action taken, a helping hand offered, and an authentic effort customers can connect with.

Here at noissue, helping you to incorporate a QR code into your packaging is our bread and butter. The codes are dynamic, allowing you to manage the microsite they link to and what information is present on it without needing an entirely new run of packaging.

With super simple templates available through TapKit and plenty of sustainability guidelines on our website, crafting a quick and easy site to teach your customers the finer points of packaging disposal is a breeze.

Ready to get into it? We have a few tips below to get you started.

Keep it Simple

Jumping into a new sustainable practice can be intimidating! With so many people online suggesting so many different ways to do everything from compost to reduce plastic waste, you can use a QR code to provide a safe and simple haven for your clients to access information.

While it can be tempting to include a ton of additional theory and background information, start out by sticking to the basics. Simple, clear guidelines on how to compost your customized tissue paper will let your customers breathe a sigh of relief. However, you can always provide avenues to more information – such as local composting facilities or recycling guidelines – your customers can choose to follow if they want to deepen their knowledge.

Keep it Relevant

What does your customer need to know about in order to make the process as simple and – hopefully – rewarding as possible? Consider where your customers live and what their potential circumstances are. Are they likely to have a backyard in which to create their own compost zone, or will they need to access a commercial composting facility? Are they more likely to close the loop if they can recycle your packaging instead of composting it?

Finding these things out can be a great way to connect with your consumer base. Try using social media to poll existing customers on their circumstances, inviting a two-way dialogue around sustainability practices. That way, they’re aware of your values as a brand, and you’re aware of the best way to make a change like this work for them. It’s a win-win!

Keep it Flexible

Finally, the QR codes are designed to be dynamic, so use that to your advantage. As you roll out your new packaging, invite customers to send feedback or questions via the code. You can edit and expand the linked microsite without disrupting the use of the QR code, so you can always ensure your information is up to date and relevant.

That’s a Wrap!

Here at noissue, we make it as easy as possible for business owners like you to close the sustainability gap. Connect with your customers and keep the circular economy going with something as simple as a dynamic QR code!

Curious about creating your own custom tissue paper to enhance your branding? Check out our range or reach out to the noissue team to get started today.