MYTHS
Packaging is an unnecessary & harmful extravaganceThe fact is that our modern lifestyle demands packaging material for nearly everything we buy to protect and preserve the goods. Packaging prepares goods for transport, distribution, storage, sale, and use. This is to be done in the most cost-effective way. Thanks to packaging it is possible for products to be available anytime, anywhere, which gives the consumer a great freedom of choice.
Good packaging reduces waste. Without packaging a great proportion of our foodstuffs would have a shorter shelf life and would not reach the consumer in a fit condition. Famine in less-developed countries may not be due to shortage of food but of adequate packaging of existing resources (food waste in Western Europe is 2-3% while it is 30-50% in developing countries).
Demands on packaging
The demands on packaging are high. It should be;
• good for you the consumer
• good for the product by protecting it
• good for the environment when manufactured and disposed.
Packaging is not a recent phenomenon. Even in ancient times, packaging was being made from a wide range of materials such as clay, wood, glass and metal. Over-packaging does exist, however, and should be dealt with when there is no justification for it.
Packaging is not something I need to bother about
As consumers we can have a strong impact on the packaging industry. Our choices when purchasing goods demonstrate what we like, which works as a guidance to the packaging industry. If better informed we can improve our choices.
We are the intelligent and affordable solutions to the disposal of polyethylene plastic waste problem
We do not need so many different types of packaging
We may well need most of them. Packaging is a complex endeavor, where an extremely wide range of needs is to be addressed. The first consideration is the nature of the product, which is to be protected/preserved, and product types vary hugely. Among other considerations are raw material (cost and availability), available machinery, strength of the packaging material during transport, tampering, attractiveness to consumers, and environmental and legal issues.
Research is a doubtful activity
Landfill sites reach capacity oil resources deplete new legislation increasing targets on waste recycling and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions must be complied with. Therefore we need research to produce better and/or alternative packaging. Some issues for this research are;
• source of raw materials
• preferably it should be made from renewable resources (rather than the traditional fossil fuel)
• properties of the product
• biodegradability/biocompostability
• costs (new biodegradable plastics are indeed cost effective and can compete with conventional inexpensive plastics)
• manufacturing methods
Recycling is the answer
Recycling can be an excellent way of handling waste - but not always. Some reasons:
Recycling does not occur until somebody actually uses the material.
Health concerns raise problems with using post-consumer recycled material for food.
Consistent and reliable supply of the recovered material may pose problems.
Recycled material is often more costly.
We may well need most of them. Packaging is a complex endeavor, where an extremely wide range of needs is to be addressed. The first consideration is the nature of the product, which is to be protected/preserved, and product types vary hugely. Among other considerations are raw material (cost and availability), available machinery, strength of the packaging material during transport, tampering, attractiveness to consumers, and environmental and legal issues.
Research is a doubtful activity
Landfill sites reach capacity oil resources deplete new legislation increasing targets on waste recycling and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions must be complied with. Therefore we need research to produce better and/or alternative packaging. Some issues for this research are;
• source of raw materials
• preferably it should be made from renewable resources (rather than the traditional fossil fuel)
• properties of the product
• biodegradability/biocompostability
• costs (new biodegradable plastics are indeed cost effective and can compete with conventional inexpensive plastics)
• manufacturing methods
Recycling is the answer
Recycling can be an excellent way of handling waste - but not always. Some reasons:
Recycling does not occur until somebody actually uses the material.
Health concerns raise problems with using post-consumer recycled material for food.
Consistent and reliable supply of the recovered material may pose problems.
Recycled material is often more costly.