# Eco-Friendly Design for Sustainable Gift Packaging
## 1 Introduction  
Gift packaging is more than just a practical way to protect gifts. It has a rich history and significant cultural importance, serving as a form of communication between the giver and the recipient. This practice conveys respect, goodwill, and thoughtfulness, playing a crucial role in the act of gifting by combining aesthetics, functionality, personalization, and sustainability [1]. Moreover, cultural differences in gifting traditions around the world have given rise to diverse markets for these products, further enhancing their accessibility and utility [2]. The popularity of corporate gifting is also growing, as companies aim to promote their brands and foster business relationships. Packaging plays a significant role in helping businesses increase sales, capture consumer attention, and communicate values, ideas, associations, and expectations about products, thereby aiding in brand positioning [3]. As of 2023, the market of gift packaging was valued at approximately USD 25.48 billion, and it is projected to reach about USD 38.93 billion by 2033, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.33% from 2024 to 2033 [4]. This growth is driven mainly by the increasing popularity of corrugated cardboard gift boxes, valued for their resistance, reusability, and aesthetic appeal. Increasing environmental awareness is simultaneously driving the demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions [5]. Sustainable eco-design is an approach centered on minimizing the environmental impact of products throughout their entire life cycle, encompassing design, production, use, and disposal. Key principles of eco-design include reducing energy and material consumption, reusing products or their components, upgrading used products, recycling materials (including production waste), and recovering energy [6; 7; 8]. According to [PERSON] et al. [9], sustainable packaging design should aim to completely eliminate packaging waste, reduce material usage, enable reuse or recycling at the end of the packaging's life cycle, and return used materials as raw resources for further use. Studies on packaging sustainability primarily focus on developing more eco-friendly packaging materials [10; 11; 12; 13]. Paper and cardboard packaging is experiencing a revival, as consumers perceive it as a high-value and environmentally friendly material [14; 15; 16]. Consumers are becoming more aware of the impact of their purchasing decisions on the environment and are demanding more sustainable options. A systematic literature review of the consumer perspective on sustainable packaging design was recently conducted by [PERSON] et al. [17]. In a study by [PERSON] et al., consumers strongly recognized the usefulness and ease of use of gift packaging, with their ecological values playing a crucial role in their acceptance of green packaging [18]. Eco-friendly packaging, from the consumer's perspective, can be described as packaging which conveys environmental friendliness either explicitly or implicitly. This perception can be shaped by the packaging's structural design as well as its iconographic, graphical, or informational elements [19; 20]. An important aspect aside from material selection and construction of the packaging is the packaging's graphic design. Selection of the shape, type-face, color, imagery, layout, images, and patterns conveys specific meanings to consumers and significantly influences their perception of both the brand and the product [3; 21]. The visual information conveyed through packaging establishes a quick connection between the consumer and the brand. The positioning and alignment of graphical elements communicate the distinct meanings and characteristics of a product [22]. Packaging elements such as the color, typography, shape, images, and informational labels play a crucial role in shaping consumer judgment. The decorative, emotional, and symbolic aspects of packaging enhance product value by addressing key factors like utility, safety, and comfort, which fulfill consumer needs [23].