What is the role of eco-friendly food packaging in the environment?
Eco is an abbreviation for ecology, which describes the relationship between living things and their environment. Whereas, friendly symbolizes beneficial, or at least not harmful. Together, when applied to products or services, describe it as not having harmful or positive impacts on living things.
Eco-friendly packaging is also known as sustainable
packaging, green packaging, or environment-friendly packaging. The packaging
utilizes earth-friendly materials to pack a product. The packaging industry is
currently at the nexus of social justice, environmental preservation, and
economic growth problems. Also, eco-friendly packaging plays a crucial role in
helping the consumer demand for recyclable, natural, and biodegradable
packaging materials. In addition to this, according to the research report of
Astute Analytica, the North America eco-friendly Food Packaging Market is
growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% during the forecast
period from 2022 to 2027.
Importance of eco-friendly food packaging
The packaging materials consumers use are important.
The over-use of non-recyclable, plastics or biodegradable packaging has led to
packaging, in general, being painted in an unfavorable light by many consumers.
When consumers receive the product, they want to see
that it is packaged responsibly, recyclable, biodegradable, and utilizing
non-toxic materials, and that will not further contribute to the sustainability
problems the planet is facing.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Food Packaging on the Environment
It reduces carbon footprints
If it is made from recycled products, the carbon
footprint of the packaging will be greatly reduced. Similarly, if the packaging
is made from natural materials like FSC-approved cardboard or paper and bamboo,
the growth of such products removes carbon from the environment. If people are
looking to make their business carbon-neutral, eco-friendly packaging is the
best alternative.
Biodegradable
If the packaging is made from natural materials, it
means that it will be biodegradable. Plastic is not easily biodegraded takes
many years to break down and releases harmful chemicals during the process.
Some eco-friendly packaging, such as sustainable paper products, will even be
compostable.
No harmful toxins
Non-sustainable petrochemical resources like crude
oil, which is used to make most plastic, are extremely harmful to the
environment in terms of refinement, extraction, distribution, use, and
disposal. Eco-friendly packaging has none of these problems. As it biodegrades,
harmful chemicals like the ones released by plastic are not present.
It reduces waste
The biodegradability and compostability factor means
that sustainable foodservice packaging marks less waste in landfills.
Protects Oceans
The decline in the usage of single-use plastics in
favor of sustainable packaging allows less waste to accumulate in the oceans,
keeping the sea and water life healthier.
Easily recycled or reused
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