Packaging has come a long way, and over time it has evolved from simply wrapping a product to protect, preserve, transportation and storage need to becoming a consumer experience and an opportunity for brand promotion and identity. During historic hunter/gatherer times, packaging was made from materials such as leaves, mulberry bark and animal skins. Ancient China developed the earliest form of paper packaging and the ancient Egyptians discovered glass blowing technology.
By mediaeval times packaging had progressed to wooden boxes and barrels, and the industrial revolution created a surge in new packaging materials such as cans for food, tins for tobacco and the very first cardboard box. Towards the end of the twentieth century, cartons were invented, soon followed by the first cereal box and cellophane. The 1950s saw the creation of bubble wrap, shrink wrap and the ring pull can, then plastic bottles were introduced in the 1970s.
The environmental impact of packaging
As well as substantial use of resources to create and transport packaging, waste plastic packaging often ends up in landfill or is incinerated. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and when it does, it breaks down into microplastics which are very harmful to ecosystems as they disrupt reproduction, stunt growth and cause organ damage. Landfill results in greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., carbon dioxide and methane) which contribute to climate change. The physical presence of landfill destroys wildlife habitats and toxins leak into the soil disrupting land and water biodiversity as well as polluting human drinking water supplies.
Further habitat destruction occurs from fires that occur because of the toxic accumulation of gases. Both landfill and incineration have a detrimental impact on air quality, which affects local public health (higher incidence of respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system disorders as well as life-threatening conditions such as cancer).
What is a carbon footprint?
The environmental impact of anything can be measured by a carbon footprint; this describes the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced each year during the production, use and end-of-life of a product or service. It considers both direct emissions (controlled by the party in question) and indirect emissions (not directly created by the party in question but occurring as a consequence of direct activities).
The environmental impact of packaging takes into consideration the use of all the resources used to create it, transportation (e.g., heavy packaging generates high fuel emissions) and what happens to the packaging waste.
The carbon footprint of different packaging options
Plastic produces four times as many global greenhouse gas emissions as cardboard. However, it’s a common misconception that cardboard is ‘green’ – production still uses a substantial number of resources. Cardboard production uses far more energy than plastic production, is heavier to transport (i.e., higher fuel consumption) results in more waste materials and can be responsible for deforestation unless it is sustainably sourced.
Although carboard recycling is more energy efficient than plastic (lower water consumption), contaminated cardboard (e.g., with grease, sticky tape, or food) is often unable to be recycled. In landfill, carboard breaks down a lot more quickly than plastic, however, incineration of both leads to toxic fumes. Environmentally friendly packaging is generated from renewable resources, has optimised transportation costs, breaks down quickly and is efficient to recycle.
Consumer awareness of climate change is driving a revolution in the packaging industry
Given climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity is facing, it is heartening that today’s consumers are very eco-conscious and driving a change in business behaviour when it comes to packaging. They expect businesses to take their corporate social responsibility seriously and be utilising as sustainable packaging options as possible (and ideally be carbon-neutral). A recent survey noted that half of target consumers would pay more for planet friendly packaging!
Awareness of consumer behaviour is guiding organisations to rethink their packaging strategy. Historically, packaging has been part of a linear economy (take, make, use, dispose), whereas nowadays, an increasing number of businesses are embracing a circular economy (make, use, recycle) and reaping the benefits. Environmentally responsible packaging will improve customer perception of your brand as well as preserving the planet for future generations.
Environmentally responsible packaging options
Sustainable packaging is revolutionising today’s packaging industry. Creation of compostable shrinkwrap packaging materials uses very small amounts of carbon, minimises the volume of waste sent to landfill/incineration, and releases beneficial nutrients when biodegraded. Single-use plastic/new plastic packaging is no longer seen as acceptable by most major brands and many companies now note the percentage of recycled plastic used in their packaging. Food companies are switching from plastic shrinkwrap to recyclable options such as sugarcane polyolefin shrinkwrap. Other sustainable packaging options include wood pulp, corrugated cardboard, plant-based packaging (bamboo, hemp and cotton), refillable packaging and dissolvable and edible packaging.
