Rise in Popularity of Sustainable and Green Packaging
The amount of pressure faced by corporations to switch to green packaging is tremendous at the moment, yet simply going green does not actually involve using sustaining packaging since the definition of sustainable packaging states that it is functional, cost effective and is able to provide support to the well being of both humans and the ecology for an extended period of time. Not every single green packaging, like biodegradable plastics, is able to pass these sustainable criteria. They happen to exist alongside you in the world of today but are not used in a widespread manner since they are prohibitively expensive to manufacture, and thus, buy. They do not conform to the definition of sustainability when they cost multiple times more than the price of an equivalent plastic which is non-biodegradable.
Buyer Beware
If you are considering purchasing packaging materials composed of recycled materials, then you need to pay close attention to the material percentage claimed to be made using recycled materials. Recycled cardboard is one of the finest examples of this trend. If it is stated that the cardboard has been made from 80% of recycled materials than the quality is good since, on an average, almost 20% of pulp from new wood chips needs to be added to it in order to impart the same amount of strength like the original after the process of recycling. But if it is composed of just 40% recycled material, then it will not be quite green.
If a material is only 80% recycled, then long term process of depletion will not be eradicated completely, it will only be slowed down unless proper measures are introduced into the production process of the materials for packaging, like sustainably forested wood. You will be able to achieve a 100% figure only if you use sustainable materials. But in the case of majority packaging items, you are still ways off from achieving this figure. But you should do all you can to minimize the long term damage to the ecology due to packaging of non-biodegradable materials.
Improve Recycling Process
One of the most important points in enhancing the targets of recycling is to improve the current level of the process, meaning that it is fine if as much of the packaging used by you is composed of recycled materials. However, it becomes pointless if just a nominal amount is actually used for recycling. This can be improved by educating people through the printing of important recycling logos on the outside of the boxes used for packaging. The alternative happens to be the packaging recycling targets led and enforced by the government.
Emerging Sustainable Packaging Types
The trend for ecological modernization has now become a burgeoning social issue thanks to the rising number of modern day businesses practicing sustainable solutions in areas associated with the manufacture, procurement, storage, distribution, moving and inventory. On the other hand, sustainable packaging companies have sought to meet this increasing demand by coming up with innovative new solutions with recyclable packaging.
Biodegradable paper packaging is used by most of you in businesses. They help to offer customized and creative packaging design solutions to companies and allow them to decrease the overall carbon footprint. Ordering biodegradable paper packaging has never been easier because of a greater awareness of the environment and better cost efficiency. These types of packaging are popularly called compostable packaging since it breaks down the natural process of recycling into components which can be used for composting. This means that the materials are recycled in a natural manner without the necessity of any additional energy. Companies have introduced bioplastics as a substitute to normal plastic packaging. Recycled aluminum packaging and recycled glass packaging are also common in order to help restore the state of the environment.
