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Why Using Environmentally Friendly Food Packaging is so Important
Environmental issues are coming to the fore more and more. As we use up natural resources and fill landfills with non-biodegradable waste, it is becoming increasingly important that we find less harmful alternatives. One area where there has been considerable process is within the food packaging industry.
The invention of plastic revolutionised the way we developed products and packaged goods. However, it did come with one noticeable drawback - it didn't decompose. Plastic can last for years without changing form due to the chemicals that go into creating it. These same chemicals also make it hazardous to burn, making disposal a significant challenge.
With most foods now being packaged in plastics, polystyrene or metals, the need for finding a resolution to this issue has always been a prevalent one. Obviously you can't have your baked beans or milk sold without any packaging, so manufacturers have had to look carefully into materials that are recyclable or can decompose.
As we've already touched on, this isn't a minor problem. Landfills across the world are overflowing with rubbish that could take decades to reduce, if indeed it does at all. This causes all sorts of environmental damage, including the emission of gasses and other general pollutants. So the larger these landfills get, the less space we have and the more harm the environment will suffer; all in all, it is a pretty awful situation.
Therefore, the benefit of using reduced packaging or materials that can easily be recycled and reduce the burden on landfills and waste distribution centres. Of course even recycling has some environmental implications, particularly when done using an incinerator; however, these should be significantly reduced when compared to the issues caused by clogging the ecosystem with materials that will last many years.
There may be an associated cost for manufacturers and producers when it comes to dealing with environmentally food packaging; however, in many cases, this is deemed an acceptable compromise. Unfortunately though, some still continue to use materials that aren't biodegradable or recyclable. Whether this is for cost or efficiency it is a practice that continues, and is damaging the environment at the same time.
Fortunately there have been vocal campaigns by environmental groups, celebrities and governments to ensure that things are changing. Slowly the lassez-faire attitude towards waste and its associated problems is changing. People are realising that we can't continue to dump waste in the earth and try to ignore it. Long-term solutions have to be sought and a more proactive attitude developed to ensure that we don't cause irreparable damage.
So to return to the main crux of this article, the reason why environmentally friendly food packaging is so important is purely because it helps to solve an ever deepening problem. As recycling initiatives from local and national governments continue to spread, awareness of the products we're using and the way in which they are disposed of should also receive greater attention.
So if you are concerned for the welfare of the earth and the wellbeing of future generations, the small things can make a big difference. Manufacturers need to more aware of their social responsibilities and the wider public also needs to be proactive in the way that they recycle and purchase. That is why environmentally food packaging is so important.
The invention of plastic revolutionised the way we developed products and packaged goods. However, it did come with one noticeable drawback - it didn't decompose. Plastic can last for years without changing form due to the chemicals that go into creating it. These same chemicals also make it hazardous to burn, making disposal a significant challenge.
With most foods now being packaged in plastics, polystyrene or metals, the need for finding a resolution to this issue has always been a prevalent one. Obviously you can't have your baked beans or milk sold without any packaging, so manufacturers have had to look carefully into materials that are recyclable or can decompose.
As we've already touched on, this isn't a minor problem. Landfills across the world are overflowing with rubbish that could take decades to reduce, if indeed it does at all. This causes all sorts of environmental damage, including the emission of gasses and other general pollutants. So the larger these landfills get, the less space we have and the more harm the environment will suffer; all in all, it is a pretty awful situation.
Therefore, the benefit of using reduced packaging or materials that can easily be recycled and reduce the burden on landfills and waste distribution centres. Of course even recycling has some environmental implications, particularly when done using an incinerator; however, these should be significantly reduced when compared to the issues caused by clogging the ecosystem with materials that will last many years.
There may be an associated cost for manufacturers and producers when it comes to dealing with environmentally food packaging; however, in many cases, this is deemed an acceptable compromise. Unfortunately though, some still continue to use materials that aren't biodegradable or recyclable. Whether this is for cost or efficiency it is a practice that continues, and is damaging the environment at the same time.
Fortunately there have been vocal campaigns by environmental groups, celebrities and governments to ensure that things are changing. Slowly the lassez-faire attitude towards waste and its associated problems is changing. People are realising that we can't continue to dump waste in the earth and try to ignore it. Long-term solutions have to be sought and a more proactive attitude developed to ensure that we don't cause irreparable damage.
So to return to the main crux of this article, the reason why environmentally friendly food packaging is so important is purely because it helps to solve an ever deepening problem. As recycling initiatives from local and national governments continue to spread, awareness of the products we're using and the way in which they are disposed of should also receive greater attention.
So if you are concerned for the welfare of the earth and the wellbeing of future generations, the small things can make a big difference. Manufacturers need to more aware of their social responsibilities and the wider public also needs to be proactive in the way that they recycle and purchase. That is why environmentally food packaging is so important.
