I believe companies should adopt more environmentally friendly packaging because some packaging is excessive and results in overflowing landfills. The amount of packaging for products can also prove to be frustrating for the person making the packaging and the person opening it.
Imagine a consumer sending a phone through the mail or ordering one from a mega retailer like Amazon. It comes to you in a 12x12x12 box. Within the container are smaller boxes filled with Styrofoam packing peanuts and/or bubble wrap. Finally, at the bottom is the phone you invested five minutes opening and someone else wasted five minutes packing. Making it more environmentally friendly would reduce that excessive waste of materials and time. Excessive waste also adds more to said company’s carbon footprint. This leaves these companies open to bad press, government regulations and even poor work environments. Not to mention the unnecessary materials are needlessly costly on the company’s budget. Why waste that much packaging on one single object?
If companies use lighter weight materials, they can reduce CO2 emissions. Using paper instead of plastic since it’s more recyclable than plastic and biodegradable, also it’s better to use uncoated and unwaxed cardboard and paper instead of bubble wrap (goodhousekeeping.com).
As a gamer, and someone who aspires to produce content for the gaming industry, I am inspired by the transition to digital downloads. Not only does this evolution reduce the plastic packaging and cellophane wraps, but in addition it cuts down on e-waste. In return the digital downloads are more convenient, as they are accessible through the console itself. This option can also be seen as more affordable for the consumer on some platforms. Using anything that can be recycled easily saves on energy and pollution. “Recycling prevents the emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants and saves energy.” (dura-pack.com).
On a more space related note, there’s enough plastic bottles produced to build a mountain as tall as mount Everest. That much plastic can be used to fill a whole Amazon warehouse with boxes made entirely of recycled plastic bottles. With that much plastic available it should be considered that companies are making it harder on themselves to use packaging that isn’t more environmentally friendly.
There are many other environmentally friendly packaging materials such as: Air Pillows made of recycled materials (inflatable Air Pillows are another great alternative), cornstarch packaging, Mushroom packaging, seaweed packaging, and of course recycled cardboard and paper (greenbusinessbureau.com).
If companies don’t adopt more environmentally friendly packaging then they’ll make the damage done by industries to nature worse, trash will flood the lands and the oceans, and the air will only become more contaminated. In closing, all companies with packaging should learn to adopt more environmentally friendly packaging because it’s easier, better for their public image, easier on the workforce and prevents greenhouse effects.
Essay by: Dylan Mateo Lopez
Ontario Christian School