Plastic bottles and packaging are commonly used to pack liquids, dairy products, beverages, or household cleaners. Compared to glass containers, plastic bottles are less expensive and come in a wide range of shapes, making them highly versatile. Are bottles and packaging bad or good for the environment? The answer is not so obvious, so read further
Thanks to specific packaging, some products waste less
The environment is affected by packaging as it demands raw materials and energy for its production and creates waste. However, packaging also serves a purpose as it helps preserve the food for a longer time, reduces damage during transport and storage, and ultimately reduces food wastage while also discouraging the purchase of new foods.
You’ll find some packaging tips here
- Throwing away food has a greater effect on the environment than saving on packaging material. So don’t buy and cook more than you can eat.
- Say no to unnecessary packaging. For example, take your high-quality shopping bag with you, so you don’t have to accept plastic or paper bags in the store.
- Do you drink beer at home? It’s better to buy beer in returnable bottles than in cans. We assure you, that it’s possible to find a large selection of environmentally friendly high-quality packaging.
- Large packaging is good if you use it up. If you regularly have a lot of leftovers, it’s better to buy small (single-serve) packages.
- Segregate waste as much as possible.
How does packaging affect the environment?
Roughly fifty percent of the discarded packaging is generated by households, while companies are responsible for the other half, including items such as boxes, wooden pallets, and shrink film. The manufacturing and transportation of these packaging materials require significant amounts of raw materials and energy, which contribute to environmental issues like climate change.
Additionally, waste processing can release harmful substances into the environment. For further information about the packaging industry and its environmental impact, you may want to explore topics like cans, glass, drink cartons, paper/cardboard, plastic, and bioplastic.
Longer shelf life due to packaging
The packaging industry provides a wide range of products such as bottles, PET products, and various containers. It offers several benefits, including the prevention of waste and product spoilage. The packaging also extends the shelf life of many food items and safeguards products from any damage during storage and transportation.
Packaging needs to be light to be better recycled
Packaging has also become a lot lighter in recent decades, meaning it requires fewer raw materials and causes less waste. Through separate collection and subsequent separation in the waste-to-energy plant, many packaging materials can be recycled better: this saves new raw materials.
Throw packages in the correct bin
Most packaging is made of paper, plastic, metal, or glass. The vast majority of this can be recycled. For proper recycling, it’s important that you return the waste separately and that no wrong things end up in the bins.
Unfortunately, plastic bottles are still commonly found in the environment. Therefore, always recycle bottles properly. PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is currently the only high-quality recyclable plastic on the market. PET is highly recyclable because the waste stream is often well separated by the deposit system that exists in many countries. This means that different plastics don’t come together, and the material always remains as pure as possible.