The Benefits Of Using Recycled Plastic
The packaging industry is the sector that more than any others takes advantage of the magical properties of plastic. As a matter of fact, 36 % of all plastic produced in a year goes into various sorts of packaging. From food and drinks to medicines and drugs, for a company to protect its products - there is no easier and cheaper way of doing that than by using plastic. But plastic comes with its own environmental burden and recycled plastic could be the answer to the global plastic waste issue. In this article, we will explain what the benefits of using recycled plastic are and why brands should start using recycled plastic more often.
FIRST THING FIRST: WHY IS PLASTIC SO USED IN PACKAGING?
First of all, plastic is durable so it can protect the content of packaging no matter how tough the external conditions are. Because it is made from long chains of molecules bound together, it’s almost indestructible!
Secondly, it is light-weighted - which makes its transportation relatively cheap and easy. Compared to the weight of a glass bottle a PET bottle can be 40x lighter. In addition, its low weight contributes to lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during its transportation compared to other materials.
Last but not least, plastic can be molded into limitless shapes - making it an adaptable material with a myriad of possibilities of use. If you try to think about the variety of plastic packaging out there, you are likely to have a headache! From film wraps to boxes, from bottles to containers, when it comes to plastic packaging, the sky's the limit!
Nevertheless, despite all these exceptional perks, plastic comes with a huge environmental burden. More specifically, it’s a burden that weighs 6.3 billion tonnes. That is the weight of all the plastic waste that’s ever been generated. To put it in perspective, if the entire human population stepped on a scale, the weight would be 316 million tons. This makes the weight of all the plastic ever produced 20 times higher than the weight of the entire human population. Let that sink in for a moment.
The reason is for this is that because plastic is so durable that it can reside hundreds of years in the environment before starting to decompose. Studies estimate that it takes a PET bottle at least 450 years to completely degrade and before this happens, it will break down into many tiny pieces called microplastics that can potentially enter our food chain. This is why plastic packaging is among the most frequently found items in our oceans.
BUT DON’T LOSE HOPE!
What if you could have all the benefits of plastic packaging without harming the environment? Actually, what if you could have the benefits of plastic while IMPROVING the status of the environment and communities around you?
Meet sustainable packaging made with recycled plastic!
While it’s impossible to re-use all of the plastic ever created, we can still start somewhere. Plastic recycling rates are slowly improving in many countries around the world and recycled packaging is not an illusion anymore. Audacious companies like The Body Shop are already including recycled plastic in many of their products.
Here’s why recycled plastic can be a force of good when used in packaging:
Diminished reliance on fossil fuels. 16.3 barrels of oil are saved every time 1 ton of plastic is recycled, so using recycled plastic can help transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Reduced use of natural resources. There’s no need to keep exploiting our planet if the resources we need are already available and can be reused, right? Using recycled plastic means giving a second life to valuable resources that are already circulating in our economy.
More energy-efficient manufacturing methods. Recycling one ton of plastic saves 5,774 kWh of energy. That’s enough energy to charge a Tesla battery more than 100 times!
Less landfills and cleaner oceans. Using plastic that’s already in our natural environment is a great opportunity to reduce pollution.
Moreover, businesses can benefit financially by the inclusion of recycled content in their product packaging! Here’s how:
It can build brand loyalty and send a positive and encouraging message to customers.
It can boost your sales. Consumers are today seeking at least 50% recycled content in plastic bottles and some are willing to pay a premium for products containing recycled plastic.
It can create marketing and PR opportunities. Companies that use recycled plastic are more likely to attract the attention of journalists and environmental organizations.
It prepares businesses to comply with current legal measures or future regulations. In India for example, it is mandatory for companies to collect-back and recycle the plastic products they sell.
Bonus It can improve the life of some of the most marginalized communities in India. Yes, you read that right! Among the many advantages of including recycled plastic in your packaging is that you can create positive social change, that is if you decided to partner with us. At Plastics For Change we not only provide brands with a reliable supply of high-quality plastic but, in doing so, we contribute to lift Indian informal waste collectors out of poverty!
Considering that, as of today, alternatives to plastic are yet to be used efficiently on a large scale, using recycled plastic in packaging seems like the most reasonable solution to the growing concerns of plastic pollution.
In addition, because of growing environmental concerns, sustainable packaging is only going to become more important and hopefully the inclusion of recycled materials in it will be the new norm!