Packaging and containers are used in daily life for different things. From keeping a food item fresh for a long time to storing something without getting the color faded, containers are the answer. The packaging industry is growing rapidly due to the increased use of packages. Since the pandemic, the use of packaging has increased a lot. However, there is one thing that makes the packing bad for the environment. It might help the goods stay fresh and protected for hours, but packaging waste is contributing a lot to global solid waste. It is needless to say that all packaging materials are not recyclable. Some of them are not recyclable and make it harder for the environment to stay clean. If you are here, it means you also want to find out more about how much landfill is taken up by packaging waste and containers. Here is some information that will help you find out the details.
Contribution of Container and Packaging Waste to Landfill
Now, coming back to the point, packaging waste is responsible for containing more than 40% of all the solid waste in municipal waste streams. Based on the report from the EPA, residential, commercial, and institutional users produce more than 75 million tons of packaging and container waste every year. However, the worst thing is that only half of them are properly recycled, which makes it hard for the environment to stay clean. The rest of the 37 million tons of packaging waste go to landfills and pollute. It has become one of the major concerns that most businesses face today. While they are polluting the environment, the use of sustainable packaging, like
jarred packaged goods, is now increasing. More and more companies are now choosing packaging to keep the goods protected and make them fresh for a longer time. Many of these companies are slowly using eco-friendly materials to reduce landfill waste from packaged goods and containers. Among all the different types of containers and packaging materials, the most common ones that contribute to the landfill are plastics, aluminum, tin cans, glass, and others. On the other hand, paper and food waste are easily recyclable and degradable, which helps to keep the waste limited.
The Best Ways to Reduce Container and Packaging Waste
If you want to make sure that the packaging waste is not contributing to landfills, there are plenty of ways available to do that. Here are some of the best and most effective ones, given below in detail.
1. Use reusable and recyclable materials.
If you want to make sure that you are not increasing waste, switch now and start using recyclable and reusable materials. For example, instead of using plastic or other materials that are hard to tricycle, you can start using some of the recyclable and reusable materials like cardboard, paper, and others. The packaging cost might increase a bit, but it will help the environment. In addition, there are some companies available that have taken one step further and started using materials that do not require recycling, like water-soluble packaging.
2. Get an industrial shredder.
Another very good way to ensure that you are helping reduce waste is by getting a shredder. Shredders can help shred almost anything, including the cardboard and papers that will help you fill the packaging boxes. It is one of the most eco-friendly ways of packing and shipping your orders. In addition, the excellent cruising job of these shredders can help a lot to protect the corners of cardboard boxes corners.
3. Try minimal packaging.
Without a second thought, the packaging is very helpful for goods and items. It helps protect them, keep the food items fresh, reduce the chance of damage, and more. However, when you are packaging an item, you need to keep in mind to use as minimal material as possible. Just use materials for packaging as needed to both save resources and reduce total waste. There are plenty of ways to use less material and
keep the goods protected. It will help reduce the total waste and the contribution of containers and packaging.
4. Train the Stuff
If you want to make sure that the total packaging waste has been reduced, you need to make sure that your staff is on board with it. They play a very important role in reducing packaging waste. If the stuff is not very well known about the disposal process, the created waste will not get disposed of correctly. So, your work is not finished by providing a disposal method; make sure that the workers are also familiar with using it. Training them will not only help to reduce waste but also help to manufacture it.
Conclusion
The increasing pollution and waste are harming the environment and making it worse day by day. In this article, we have talked about the contribution of containers and packaging to total waste. Go through the article to find out all the details, along with some of the best ways to reduce
packaging and container waste. Kacee Christian is a freelance content writer and enthusiastic blogger. She is the co-founder of Exclusive Rights. She contributes to many authority blogs, such as Techrab, worldtech24, worldnewsinn, pluslifestyles, and truehealthtips.
