"There is no such thing as 'away' when we throw anything away it must go somewhere" - Annie Leonard
Packaging waste has long been harmful to our environment. We produce far too much trash and are incapable of dealing with it in a sustainable manner. Non-biodegradable waste that cannot be recycled properly is filling our oceans and landfills. The way we dispose of waste is troubling. What is worse, in this decade alone, it would seem that waste disposal has become more careless. The majority of plastic packaging that is sent to landfills around the world ends up in our natural environments due to poor waste management systems.
Every year, 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in the ocean. Plastic pollution endangers wildlife, disrupts ecosystems, and jeopardizes human health. Reducing the use of plastic packaging would decrease the likelihood of such damage. That is why The Eco Era has a few suggestions and actions to consider in contributing to the environment in a way that benefits everyone:
How to manage or regulate packaging waste
Plastics are a product of human ingenuity because they are lightweight, durable, decay resistant, cheap, and moldable. Unfortunately, this advancement comes at a cost. It is extremely wasteful and has a negative impact on the earth's ecosystems, on which we rely. The majority of plastic waste is sent to landfills or disposed of in the environment due to poor product design and a lack of political infrastructure.
Types of Packaging Waste:
1. Rigid Plastic Packaging
The use of rigid plastics packaging continues to rise in the non-alcoholic beverages and food industries, as consumers shift their preferences from glass and metal bottles to plastic bottles for convenience, portability, and recyclability, and increasing consumer demand for healthier beverages
2. Paper and Board
The rising popularity of paper board packaging is due, in large part, to its lightweight nature, its recyclability, and its portability; these qualities have enabled the product to compete with plastic, especially in the Philippines dairy food sector. Sustainability has become an increasingly important factor for consumers, and paper board packaging is rapidly gaining popularity for its ease of recycling, its portability, and its convenience.
3. Rigid Metal Packaging
Rigid metal packaging is a type of packaging that holds the product in a metal container. It includes cans and bottles made out of tin, aluminum, steel, and other metals. Rigid metal cans are used for packaging perishable food products, and demand for this product is on the rise due to growing awareness among consumers concerning sustainability, thereby driving the market growth. The world demand for rigid metal cans has increased due to their use in food & non-alcoholic beverages as well as providing an extended shelf life by protecting the quality of the product inside. The longer shelf life contributes to increased sales and profits for companies utilizing this type of packaging option.
4. Glass
Glass packaging is mostly used in the beverages industry for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic industries, due to its strength, durability, and impermeability to oxidation properties. The sustainable, inert, recyclable, and reusable properties of glass packaging make it an ideal packaging material for food products (both liquid and powdered) over plastics. Glass is also widely used in cosmetics & toiletries packaging due to its premium image along with its heat-resistant attributes.
5. Flexible Packaging
Flexible packaging has become the preferred material for food packaging due to its demand for convenience, portability, and resealable capabilities. Flexible
