If you are in the food packaging, or delivery service then you’ll be familiar with various types of packaging, which have evolved over the years to fall in line with various health and safety standards, a large part of which is geared towards an increased attempt at improving the effects of global warming. The matter of global warming is a serious one, hence why the on-going evolution of process-based solutions to either reduce, or to completely eradicate the need for things like plastic, which takes a long time to decompose. In the meantime, it serves as one of the biggest contributing factors that are destroying the very earth that we live on;
It’s everywhere
If you recently made a purchase of something, and that isn’t limited to food either, pretty much anything that you buy will be packaged in something, some form of protective film, plastic or, even a cardboard box. Can you remember how many types of plastic, was it a food box with 2 slots or more, was any part of the packaging made from cardboard? There’s a lot of questions there, so take a couple of minutes.
The chances are, probably not, and even if you do know the number of materials used, would you know what they are, and what they contain? More importantly, what kind of effect do the packaging materials have on the planet, the wildlife and their environments?
It’s a sad fact, but plastic is absolutely everywhere you look, and places you probably don’t, like the sewers. Visible signs include, on the floor, next to the bin, after a failed attempt of slam dunking your rubbish as you walked past the rubbish bins, on way to your next task
Why is it so heavily used?
Most products. that you buy, all have something in common, they’re all packaged in something. of which is a huge part of research and development for the manufacturers and distributors of the thousands of products. you see, on the hundreds of shelves throughout shops, and supermarkets. Over the years the packaging used has become even more of a ‘platform’ for the sellers to advertise their products as well as to make them look really appealing.
As such, you’ll find that packaging actually serves a couple of purposes for manufacturers and producers of food products, more so in recent years is the critical function that it plays in protecting your food or product. They have a long journey, across a wide variety of places, they must pass through, and stop, along the way, whilst being transported to the supermarkets, and eventually, into your hands.
What can you do?
There is no doubt that packaging waste has become a big, global problem. Our single-use culture has radically increased the amount of packaging waste we create by person on a daily, weekly, monthly and annul basis.
Plastic, as a packaging material, causes harm to the environment by polluting the natural landscapes, decomposing into tiny microplastics and ending up to the oceans and marine biodiversity. You could help by leading by example. Where possible, use biodegradable packaging and make sure that you throw your unwanted packaging rubbish in the most appropriate way.