Anytime I leave the house to run errands and go shopping, a consistent part of my routine is checking the trunk of my car. Ever since I can remember, part of my family’s routine when leaving the house to go shopping is to check the car’s trunk to ensure we have our reusable bags with us, ready to be used. Ever since I can remember, my parents have been trying to be as environmentally friendly of a family as possible, whether it be using reusable bags, composting, having their own vegetable gardens, or buying utensils that can be reused instead of one time use products that will be thrown away. Their view of being as eco-friendly as possible has passed on to me, and ever since I actively make my own decisions and choices, I try my best to do my part to reduce the negative impact I put on this world and it’s resources because I strongly believe that every individual person should take small actions to make a positive mark on our world.
That positive mark every individual can make can also be applied on a larger scale as well. One way is if companies adopted environmentally friendly packaging. Currently, according to the environmental protection agency, containers and packaging makeup around 28.1% of total municipal solid waste. This is a huge percent, and has drastic negative environmental impacts because most companies’ packaging is not environmentally friendly and is made of materials like plastic which end up polluting our oceans and lands and ruining ecosystems and various animals’ habitats. But, we can reduce this negative impact by getting companies to switch to environmentally friendly packaging. Environmentally friendly packaging has many benefits. First, it reduces a businesses’ carbon footprint. Second, it is easily disposable for customers. Third, eco-friendly packaging is biodegradable and has no harmful plastics. Finally, can be reduced, reused, and recycled sustainably and these are only a few of the benefits. Clearly, there are many environmental advantages for using environmentally friendly packaging. But, there are also additional benefits for the businesses that go further than just reducing its negative impact on the planet and its resources. Using eco-friendly packaging can actually improve companies’ brand image by showing consumers they care about more than just profits and actually want to do good. So, not only would the company be contributing to saving the planet, but would also be benefiting themselves by boosting their own brand image simultaneously.
Our planet is slowly dying because of the pollution humans are putting out and because of the non-renewable resources we are using up at horrifically fast rates. To save the environment, we need to take immediate action before the negative impact we have made becomes irreversible. A small way to start is by getting companies to adopt environmentally friendly packaging so that no more plastic from packaging ends up in our oceans and large landfills. Change needs to happen. We need to save our planet. Companies adopting environmentally friendly packaging is an effective step towards that goal.
Essay by: Meghana Warrier
Paradise Valley High School
