Why You Should Switch to Paper Tape

Paper tape — the greener alternative to traditional tape with extra functionality and awesome eco-friendly properties. 

If your business is taking advantage of eco-friendly packaging solutions — like cardboard postal boxes or biodegradable void fill — you might be wondering if the tape that secures your shipments is supporting your vision for a greener future. 

Unfortunately, plastic tape comes with several drawbacks that many of us have come to accept as part of the packaging process, but paper tape offers a more practical, more eco-friendly solution that’ll help secure your shipments and preserve the planet’s natural resources. So what makes paper tape that much better than traditional tape?

What’s Wrong with Traditional Plastic Tape?

Packaging tape is wholly necessary to secure your parcels and make sure they get to their destination without being tampered with, but what’s wrong with plastic tape? It’s been the go-to adhesive tape for many years, but its lack of environmentally friendly properties mean it’s falling out of favour with businesses and consumers alike.

Most plastic tape isn’t recyclable and leaving excess plastic tape on recyclable packaging interferes with the recycling process. Many recycling plants aren’t able to fully extract plastic tape using their recycling machinery, and as a result, the recycled paper or cardboard they produce suffers in quality.

This makes the recycling process inefficient, so it’s important to make sure that you recycle your paper and cardboard packaging only after you’ve removed any plastic tape from the materials if this kind of adhesive is present.

Why Is Paper Tape Better Than Plastic Tape?

Paper tape is the perfect eco-friendly alternative to traditional vinyl or polypropylene tape and features a wealth of advantages over its synthetic counterparts. 

Paper tape is:

• Quick and easy to use — It can be used with regular tape dispensers for simple and effective application.
• A strong adhesive — Paper tape sticks to all kinds of carton surfaces, keeping your parcels secure with a highly adhesive seal.
  
• Cost-effective — Since it’s inexpensive to manufacture, you’ll be able to save on packaging costs and benefit the environment too.
• Tear-resistant — Your packages will be safe during transportation when you use highly durable paper tape.
• Made from natural resources — The tape itself has a smooth, natural feel, allowing it to enhance the aesthetics of cardboard packaging.
• It can be branded — Why not boost your brand awareness instead of using plain, brown paper tape? Incorporate your logo, add text or create an eye-catching design with the help of our in-house design team.

What Are the Environmental Benefits of Paper Tape?

Kraft paper tape has a range of environmental benefits. Paper tape has been adopted by Amazon as part of their most recent eco-friendly packaging innovations, helping to reduce packaging waste on a global scale. If it’s good enough for the biggest online retailer in the world, it’s probably well suited to your business! 

Not only is self-adhesive paper tape suitable for sealing all kinds of cartons and boxes, but it also doesn’t need to be removed from packages when they’re ready to be recycled. Our eco-tape is biodegradable, compostable and 100% recyclable. It’s made from 80% recycled paper and completely plastic-free, further adding to its environmentally friendly credentials. 

The paper used to create this tape is sustainably sourced, meaning you’ll get added peace of mind knowing that your tape isn’t contributing to deforestation. If you’re a company striving to be kind to the environment, ditch the vinyl tape and give our brown paper tape a try.

Paper Tape from Packaging Supplies

Our paper tape is available in 60gsm or 70gsm paper varieties and can be used with a standard 2″ tape dispenser, giving you everything you need to package and seal your parcels the eco-friendly way.

The 60gsm paper tape is a great general-purpose Kraft paper tape. It’s self-adhesive and very pliable, making it effective for sealing oddly shaped packages. Our 70gsm paper tape is more heavy-duty. It’s thicker and has a higher initial tack. It has a premium waxed finish and, like with our other tape, it sticks very well to itself. This grade is a higher-quality self-adhesive tape for larger packing operations.

Switching from Plastic to Paper Tape

Normal, everyday sticky tape might seem harmless enough, but it’s outperformed by more cost-effective, eco-friendly alternatives available. If you’re thinking about how to make your shipments easier to pack, unpack and recycle, paper tape is the answer. Phasing out plastic will win your more environmentally concerned customers, as well as prove to the world that your business is doing its bit to help reduce plastic waste and act sustainably. Making the switch from plastic to paper tape is easy, so why not implement these changes in your business today?

Ready to switch from plastic to paper? Buy eco-friendly tape online, or if you’re interested in customised paper tape, why not get in touch with our friendly team for a free custom design quote?