If not plastic, then what? Pros and cons of other product packaging alternatives

The law on waste segregation has made us realize that the proportion of waste we produce from plastic packaging is staggering. The popularity of plastics is not surprising. Light and convenient to use as they may appear, with low costs of production, they would seem just perfect in today’s fast-paced world.

The plastic power

You may be under the impression that the amount of plastic in your household is increasing. As you can see, on nearly each of your visits to the grocery store or a local shop you end up bringing yet another batch of articles wrapped in plastics, which you will want to get rid of soon afterwards.

In search of alternatives

Easier said than done... If our packaging does not gain a second life through recycling, the problem is merely swept under the carpet. An example with a simple plastic bag shown below perfectly illustrates this situation. The production of a little plastic carrier bag takes about a second, we can use it for several minutes, and Mother Nature may need even about 400 years to neutralize it! This is why environmentalists are constantly searching for alternatives. What are the advantages and disadvantages of today's plastic substitutes?

Glass

Glass bottles are widely considered more "eco" than plastic packaging. In fact, their production requires enormous energy inputs. If we consider the overall energy balance, it turns out that the reusable bottles made of PET plastic are much more eco-friendly!

Let alone the time the raw material needs to decompose. According to some sources this will happen after four thousand years, others claim that glass doesn’t  break down at all. Undoubtedly, we are unable to verify those two versions.

Glass is highly recommended  for several reasons. This is the raw material that has been known to us for thousands of years, so we trust the wisdom of our ancestors who willingly reached for glass packaging.  Being chemically neutral is also a great advantage of glass . Such bottles and jars do not affect the composition or taste of the food or liquids stored in them. Furthermore, they perfectly protect the contents from the impact of oxygen or bacteria. If we make sure that used glass is placed in the right bin, it will definitely get a second life. This material can be easily processed.

However, glass packaging is not versatile enough to replace plastic on the market. There are certain drawbacks to it, such as: fragility, necessity to take extra care while handling it or the heavy weight.

Metal

It takes as many as 10 years for a metal food can to decompose. This process is less efficient for raw materials that are more resistant to corrosion. An aluminum beverage can  needs up to 200 years. Metal packaging provides the appropriate sturdiness and strength to protect the contents from possible mechanical damage. The disadvantage may be a high heat conduction ratio. A metal can left in the heat warms up very quickly. It's also one of the raw materials that we can easily process.

Paper

It can be classified as a product belonging to the group of organic raw materials. It usually takes a few months for paper to decompose, which certainly is  a satisfactory result. It is easy to process it, so the already used packaging gets a new life. Paper or cardboard boxes will be relatively light, they do not conduct heat, and they are also odorless.

Problems may arise when this type of packaging is affected by moisture.When  paper gets soggy it stops protecting the contents from mechanical damage. Therefore, we shouldn't expect paper to protect the inside from the destructive effects of liquids.

Moreover, in the case of packaging made from recycled raw materials, there might be a  risk of carcinogenic mineral oil residue being transferred to foodstuffs packed in it.

Wood

Wooden packaging throughout the entire period of use provides adequate rigidity and perfectly protects the contents against mechanical damage. Other advantages are  poor heat and electricity conduction. And - as we might be aware - such boxes are classified as the most eco friendly products.

Despite a number of strengths, wooden packaging is not free from defects, and can be defeated hands down by plastics in terms of  weight. In addition, they can easily absorb moisture and - due to the presence of aromatic resins - "share" their stored fragrances. What's worse, they are also very unsanitary, and their structure promotes the development of bacteria and fungi. Reusable punnets ( e.g. strawberry punnets ) are particularly at risk, as they are often stored in deplorable conditions, more often than not in places infested by mice or rats.

Textiles

This is a good option when we need to store a product that requires better air circulation. Packages made of fabrics will be airy, light and eco-friendly. They are often reused and they break down quickly. However, they cannot be seen as a universal solution. They lack sturdiness that would protect the contents from mechanical damage. They are not very resistant to external factors, either. They get soiled quickly, and do not protect stored products against moisture.

How about plastic?

Probably you don't need to give up plastics completely and all you need to do is refine their properties? Can plastics be slightly more environmentally friendly? So far, attempts to create eco plastic haven't always been successful. Below are some non-standard varieties of plastic.

• Oxo-degradable plastics

This category comprises conventional plastics which, thanks to special additives, easily disintegrate into small particles. Is it possible to solve the problem of waste due to the oxo -degradable plastics? It turns out that it isn't! The microplastics occurring after the break-up are easily "spread" by the wind, and consequently contribute to polluting the seas and oceans. These small fragments of plastic are easily swallowed by marine animals, and after passing through the links of the food chain, also eaten by humans.

This issue has been recently  discussed by the Parliament. In October 2018, the MPs endorsed the EU ban on the use of disposable plastic products which pose a threat to our waters. It applies to materials with already available plastic-free substitutes. Thus, the oxo- degradable plastics were added to the list of products that should be banned.

• Plastics of organic origin

Plastics of organic origin are formed by the polymerization of vegetable oils, and not-as it is usually done using crude oil. Manufacturers of this type of plastics can mark them with the "OK Biobased" logo. This stamp is issued by TUV Austria. Are organic-origin plastics greener than traditional ones? It turns out that it takes exactly the same amount of time for such plastics to decompose as for the standard ones, which usually ranges from 100 to 400 years, the only difference being that by using organic substances in  their production CO2 emission is reduced.

• Compostable Plastics

 Only some plastics made from biopolymers are biodegradable, or  even compostable. But note: the fact that the packaging is made of compostable biopolymer does not yet signify that the entire packaging will be suitable for composting.  All the raw materials used in the production of the finished packaging, i.e. paints, adhesives and other additives have to meet such requirements. And it is crucial to know that adhesives and inks used nowadays, whose  composition is based on alcoholic solvents, contain very harmful even carcinogenic substances!

Apparently,  in the context of our health, even minor and often ignored details are of paramount importance.  Interestingly, SILBO products are free of such harmful compounds, as in painting and laminating only  the safe technology of water-based paints and adhesives is applied.

• Not all that glitters is gold...

So what's the use of packing products at all? There are several alternative solutions available, however, there is no perfect raw material that would fully protected the content, that would be convenient to use and 100 percent eco-friendly. It is highly unlikely for such material to be invented soon. As for the main topic of this article, the issue of ecology-it needs to be considered in greater detail, not just regarding the time it takes for the raw material to decompose. If we take into account other factors, such as the amount of energy needed to produce the packaging and the contamination that it may result in, the full ecological balance may bring surprising results. What appears to be eco-friendly at first glance, in practice, may not turn out to be as it seems. Furthermore, we should not rule out  plastic completely, which is sometimes more environmentally friendly than traditional raw materials.

• How can we save our planet?

Our activities should focus on conscious waste management. If possible, we should recycle packaging as much as we can. If there is no such option,  we should guarantee that waste is disposed of properly and thoroughly segregated. Apart from ensuring the appropriate waste disposal, we should, if practicable, keep tabs on others who are responsible for the garbage after being collected. Currently plastics cannot be completely banished as they are not 100% replaceable. Nevertheless, we should bear in mind that not all plastics are equal and some  types are required to meet stringent ecological standards. By acting consciously and consistently we can preclude possible negative outcomes.