Sustainability of packaging materials

What you need to know

Sustainability of packaging materials

Packaging is an necessary part of our daily lives. Whether it’s for storing food, protecting products during transport, or offering convenience, packaging plays a crucial role. However, the impact of packaging on the environment is significant, making it essential to understand the sustainability of different packaging materials.

What is sustainable packaging?

Sustainable packaging is more than just packaging made from renewable or recycled materials. Sustainability in packaging encompasses various aspects, such as minimizing material use, applying sustainable technologies during production to save resources, and providing clear disposal instructions to facilitate recycling .

Preventing waste

Incorrect packaging can lead to waste. Tubes or bottles that leave residue are examples of this. This is important because food waste has a more significant negative impact on the environment than the packaging itself. For single-person households, portion packs can prevent waste by providing the exact amount of food needed, despite producing slightly more waste .

Returnable packaging: a win-win

Returnable packaging is always a better choice than single-use packaging. They encourage consumers to return packaging to the store, where it can be recycled. PET bottles, for instance, can be melted down and remade into new bottles, and glass beer bottles can be reused up to 40 times before being recycled .

Shopping without packaging

Another sustainable option is to shop as packaging-free as possible. At markets, you can often buy products loose and bring your own containers and bags. There are also (online) packaging-free stores like Pieter Pot, where you can buy groceries in glass refillable return jars .

The future of packaging: biodegradable and biobased plastics

Biodegradable packaging and biobased plastics are on the rise. These are made from natural resources like potatoes, corn, and sugarcane. While this sounds eco-friendly, it is not always the case. Producing these crops requires a lot of energy, land, and water, and often involves pesticides and fertilizers .

Biobased plastics

Biobased plastics are not biodegradable and should be disposed of with plastic waste. They can be recycled like conventional plastics without contaminating the recycling stream, provided they have the same chemical properties as petroleum-based plastics .

Biodegradable plastics

Biodegradable plastics, identifiable by the Seedling logo or OK Compost logo, are not always a solution for environmental pollution. They often do not degrade quickly enough in nature and must be composted under specific conditions .

Paper vs. plastic

Paper seems like a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic because it produces fewer greenhouse gases and the raw material (wood) is renewable. However, paper production requires production forests that take up a lot of space. Additionally, paper is less strong, requiring more material for the same function .

Glass, tin, fresh, or plastic?

Glass is heavy and requires a lot of energy to recycle, making it less sustainable than plastic or tin. Plastic is often the better choice because it is lighter and consumes less energy during transport and recycling. Tin and glass can be recycled repeatedly without losing quality, but this process requires more energy .

Consumer perception and reality

Many consumers think glass is the most sustainable choice, but research shows this is not necessarily the case. Cardboard often proves to be the most sustainable choice, followed by plastic, tin, and finally glass. This is because the production and recycling of glass consume significantly more energy than other materials .

Practical guidelines

Some guidelines for environmentally friendly choices include:

• Choose returnable packaging over single-use packaging.
• Prefer plastic over glass for single-use.
• Choose large packaging if you use the entire content to minimize waste .

Sustainable packaging plays a crucial role in reducing our ecological footprint. By making conscious choices in the supermarket and opting for materials that consume less energy and can be better recycled, we can make a significant impact. However, the most sustainable choice is often to prevent waste by buying only what you need and shopping without packaging whenever possible .

 

Sources

• Consumentenbond
• Milieu Centraal
• Unwaste
• Scientias

Share this post: