Misunderstanding about plastic packaging? Just because we haven’t recycled yet

The discussion on packaging needs in the mass media is very one-sided, especially considering plastic packaging as garbage, and it is also related to marine pollution. Plastic packaging is said to waste resources and cause damage to the entire environment. In fact, plastic packaging has many advantages, it not only saves resources, but also has high recyclability.

Good product protection reduces carbon dioxide emissions

The most sustainable of all packaging is its protective properties, especially in food packaging. The excellent oxygen barrier properties of plastic packaging extend the shelf life of many foods. A current study in this area shows that plastic-packaged foods rarely become waste because their shelf life is extended (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Optimized packaging significantly reduces the amount of food discarded compared to food production

Discarded rotten food can cause great pollution to the environment. For example, producing 1 kg of beef will produce about 14 kg of carbon dioxide. The better the meat is packaged, the less likely it is to become garbage. Therefore, good product protection helps protect the climate and the environment. According to the FAO Food and Agriculture Organization, 1.3 billion tons of food per year are rotted without suitable packaging materials.

The populations of many poorer countries are hungry for this reason, while the richer countries are regularly renewing their purchases, and only European households discard 70 million tons of inedible food each year. Repurchase not only causes economic losses for consumers, but also seriously pollutes the environment. As a result, packaging materials can significantly protect food by extending their shelf life, significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

Lightweight materials save resources

Plastics are especially resource-saving when comparing packaging materials. In addition, the plastic packaging part accounts for 63%, and the remaining 37% use other materials, but the plastic part only weighs 24%, while other materials weigh more than three-quarters, because plastic packaging is lighter than other packaging materials. Much more. Packed goods save a lot of fuel only in the transportation process, and plastic packaging will become lighter and lighter.

According to GVM, a market research company based in Mainz, Germany, between 1991 and 2013, the amount of plastic needed to produce the same amount of packaging was 1 million tons less than before, which is equivalent to saving 565 million yogurt cups per day (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Calculated with a cup weight of 4.7 grams and 360 days a year, the material saved per day is equivalent to 565 million yogurt cups (Source: GVM Resource Efficiency 2014)

An example of a yogurt cup illustrates another state of development of plastic packaging. The yogurt cup weighing 7 grams a few years ago is now only 3.5 grams. Through the reduction of materials, plastic packaging saves valuable resources such as raw materials and energy, which is why only 1.2% of the global production of mineral oil is used for plastic packaging, which is not a waste of resources.

Collection and recycling systems are prerequisites

In Germany, plastic packaging is also considered to be one of the sources of pollution to the ocean. but it is not the truth. In Germany, a large number of recycling systems have existed for many years and are currently unique in the world. Every citizen can collect and recycle plastic packaging in yellow garbage bags or trash cans. Because almost every German citizen is responsible in this regard, there is very little packaging flowing into rivers, lakes or forests. Advanced recycling methods make the packaging a new consumer-friendly plastic product.

Unfortunately, collection and recycling systems that are as common and functioning as Germany are not common in the world. Due to the lack of system and consumer information, Asian and Southern European countries have caused significant pollution to the oceans. In the future, the community needs to make greater efforts to create a political framework for environmentally sound waste collection. On the other hand, it needs to install a large number of packaging collection systems similar to those in Germany. This is the only way to effectively prevent packaging waste from being The way to pour into the ocean and the environment.

Conclusion

It is well known that in the daily use of packaging materials, plastic packaging is a consumer-friendly material because of its light weight and ease of handling. However, from an environmental point of view, due to its excellent performance, plastics can provide the best protection for a variety of products, so plastics have no reason to succumb to other packaging materials, but should show their own advantages. At the same time, their economic and ecological characteristics are particularly useful for modern society.