Emphasising the three R’s

Today companies are exploring replacement methods that don’t rely on non-renewable resources as packing materials, such as biodegradable or plant-based materials that use fewer resources and can easily be disposed of or recycled in an environmentally friendly way. As these solutions become available, costs associated with production will come down and companies will eventually offset environmental impacts by implementing alternative strategies stressing reuse, reduce, and recycle.

Recyclability - The Way Forward

Recyclable, Sustainable packaging materials offer equal, if not improved levels of protection and convenience than conventional options while reducing the environmental impacts associated with their production and disposal. In addition to biodegradable or compostable solutions, there are other green alternatives available such as recycling, reuse and flexible packaging that can all contribute to achieving a more sustainable future for our planet.

Some examples of recyclable, sustainable packaging materials include bamboo, sugarcane paper and biopolymers made from renewable plant resources. Each of these sustainable options offers various benefits, such as reduced energy consumption in manufacturing, higher recyclability rates and lower emissions of pollutants into the environment. It is clear that sustainable packaging materials are the way forward to meet our need for sustainable product packaging solutions.

Recyclable Packaging - The Circular Economy

At the heart of the sustainability debate is the circular economy. In its purest form, in packaging terms, it means returning packaging for it to be reused for its original purpose. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Loop shopping was unveiled. With the participation of major players such as Nestlé, Unilever and Proctor and Gamble, the Loop initiative utilises sturdy, refillable packaging that can be used many times over. The approach is making headway in cosmetics, personal care, food and retail. The idea of reusing packaging not so new – think back to milkmen picking up empty bottles to be cleaned and reused. But its time has certainly come again.

Major supermarkets are also trialling refillables and plasticfree aisles, and zero-waste stores like The Clean Kilo in the UK and Precycle in New York have come into being. Individual consumers are making lifestyle choices about how they shop without endangering the future of the planet. As one Precycle customer puts it, “Just having very little trash feels really good.”