Garbage and waste remain as some of the largest global crises the world is experiencing. Excess plastics continue to swim amongst the fish in the ocean while tons of garbage are dropped and piled onto existing landfills. As more and more people realize just how unsustainable this is, the need for change becomes much clearer. Just what are we to do to solve this sort of environmental crisis, though? One of the primary culprits of alarmingly excess waste comes in the form of plastic packaging. An estimated 78 million tons of plastic packaging is produced to secure and deliver goods around the world per year. While this has largely been contributed to the growth of e-commerce, the likelihood of a decline in online sales is incredibly unlikely. Meaning, this estimation could grow in years to come, leading to an increase in the need for plastic packaging. The growth of e-commerce doesn’t necessarily have to mean the growth of plastic packaging waste, though. Instead, manufacturers can work toward different packaging solutions, one of which being sustainable packaging. What is sustainable packaging? This is a process in which a manufacturer establishes a closed loop cycle system wherein healthy materials are optimized for production, utilization and recovery through recycling. With these processes, manufacturers can then utilize the same materials for the next production cycle, creating a much more sustainable source for packaging materials. To learn more about how these processes are limiting the need for additional landfill pile up, read on to the resource featured alongside this post.
When Should You Be Using Sustainable Packaging? an infographic provided by Eagle Flexible Packaging, a company specializing in stand up pouch packaging