Buying Local     Buying Recycled     Clothes Shopping     Gifts     Packaging     Reusable Bags     Secondhand

At the Shops - Packaging

 
The UK produced an estimated 9.3 million tonnes of waste packaging in 2001. Of this, 5.1 million tonnes came from households and the remaining 4.2 million tonnes from commercial and industrial sources.

For today’s sophisticated consumers, packaging must not only provide the basic function of protecting the product, in consumer markets it is often almost as important as the product inside and companies would argue that innovative packaging design can make the difference between a successful product and one that is taken off the shelves in 6 months time. Good packaging can of course reduce product wastage and there is some very clever multi functional packaging around which has practical applications as well as aesthetic ones.

Nevertheless, it often seems that packaging and the environment don’t always make good bed fellows, but they could and sometimes do. Take the simple cardboard egg box for example, functionally this packaging suits its needs; It is strong, durable and easily stacked yet it can be made from recycled materials, can be reused many times and can be recycled or composted at the end of its life.

Many consumers would argue that they do not want to see excessive packaging and the companies choosing to use excessive or unnecessary packaging on their products should be stopped. On the flip side of the coin the majority of companies are guided in their decisions by what sells and if an Easter egg wrapped in layers of vacuum packed plastic with ribbons and bows sells at a higher price and in larger quantities than the egg wrapped in aluminium foil and a cardboard box then this is what will be provided. Producers are consumer led.

Governments may step in from time to time to try to dissuade companies from over packaging, for example in Korea, over-packaging is being controlled through legislative standards for certain types of packaging. For example, processed foods can have no more than 15% of the volume of the package taken by void space, and no more than two layers enclosing the product. But as consumers we have the power in our own hands or should that be our wallets? If we all chose our shopping items taking into this into consideration we could go a long way to refocusing the corporate minds.

Have you been convinced that soup bought in a trendy carton or plastic pot is better than the soup in a recyclable can? Has the temptation of pre-washed, pre-cut fruit and vegetables lured you into buying plastic wrapped fresh produce? These are the type of ideas, suggested to us by clever marketing that we need to reverse. If you find a local supplier uses excessive packaging or packaging which can’t be recycled why not let them know you are unhappy about it. They may not be able to change things right away but it may pave the way for any future decisions.

In recent years we have also seen a rise in health and safety concerns over potentially hazardous chemical additives in plastics and consumer pressure has contributed to manufacturers switching to plant-based plastics in such cases. For example, the world's largest toy manufacturer Mattel announced in 1999 that PVC would be replaced with plant-based plastics in new products from 2001 onwards. A range of other companies, including LEGO, IKEA, Nike and The Bodyshop have made similar pledges.

Even if we could recycle all of our excess packaging, it would still be better if we avoided it in the first place wouldn’t it? Companies who make products available in refillable or returnable containers should be commended, for example from the Body Shop. Similarly, buying milk in returnable bottles avoids the creation of plastics waste. But these schemes will only work if we all support them. So next time you look in your bin and see it full of plastic packaging take yourself back to the supermarket and review what you could do differently.