If there is one thing that big businesses know, it would be money. For most companies, money is all that matters. But that green is the wrong type of green to be thinking about. Environmentally green is what matters in the long run, and packaging is affecting that green. Along the streets, on the sidewalk, unsightly trash is present in the form of plastic wrappers, which are obscenely bad for nature in the long run. Common plastics take approximately 1,000 years before they begin to decompose. That alone is more than 10 times a normal person’s lifespan. While writing this, I have been drinking a Polar Pop from Circle K. The cup? Styrofoam. Styrofoam takes 5oo years to decompose. The fault here is not mine, but the companies, for using a cheaper method of fluid containment. Other packaging solutions are also to blame. The plastic shell containers that require scissors to open damage the environment just as bad as a twinkie wrapper. So now that the problem has been addressed, the issue would be why. Why should companies care about environmental green over economic green. This answer is not a simple one. Money is what allows for businesses to thrive, and plastic packaging allows companies to save money. But the reason companies should switch to more environmentally friendly packaging comes down to two things. Customer satisfaction, and the environment.
It should not be a shock that companies require the satisfaction of their customers. In order for customers to be satisfied, they usually have to have a good experience with the company. This could include good service at a restaurant, or a kind employee who helps someone find what aisle their groceries are located on. But as the community’s demand for more eco-friendly alternatives increases, so does how much satisfaction relies on it. Back in the year 2018, in London, England, a group of people boycotted plastic packaging for approximately 24 hours to fight ocean pollution. Boycotts like this are hardy evidence to show companies how important environmentally friendly packaging is to the current mindset of the world. If companies do not start changing their gross packaging habits, then it is likely that they will lose customers, and their oh so ever important other green: money.
Customer satisfaction is not everything, nor is it even close to being the most important reason why companies need to switch to environmentally friendly packaging. The utmost important factor that companies should realize is the environment, and the wildlife within it. The environment is a fickle mistress that requires people to keep her clean. If the landfills get too full, or littering gets too bad, then the animals that populate the air, land and seas will slowly die off, and cease to exist, which can drastically halt the food chain. Turtles are a prime example for companies to look at. Since plastic practically cannot break down, if a turtle gets stuck in a can holder, then it is essentially doomed to perish. Think about that, companies. Adorable turtles, dead.
So to conclude, more companies should adopt environmentally friendly packaging, or at least consider it, for two reasons: customer satisfaction, and the safety of wildlife. Both of these reasons are ample catalysts to cause change. Bigger companies need to put down their money and realize what their unsafe packaging is doing to the environment. There are several ways to achieve the goal of more environmentally friendly packaging, including Dura-Pack and their flexible packaging bags and equipment. Alternatives like these should be the focus of companies. Just remember, green is not just the color of money, it is the color the environment should be.
Essay by: Jesse Byrd
Perry High School