II. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES OF PACKAGING.pdf

Plastics are a product of human innovation as they are lightweight, durable, decay resistant, inexpensive and moldable. Unfortunately, this innovation comes at a price.
Plastic packaging is extremely wasteful and impacts earth’s ecosystems, on which we depend. Due to poor product design and lack of political infrastructure, the majority of plastic waste is sent to landfills or disposed of into the environment. 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been produced, of which only 9 percent has been recycled properly.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
AND
SUSTAINABILITY
ISSUES OF
PACKAGING
Prepared by:
Engr. JenelIturiaga

2. 4R’s IN ENVIRONMENT
REFUSE
REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE

3. REFUSE
We canREFUSEto buy items that
contain single-use plastics or items that are
individually packaged.
At Planet Earth Games we seek to
make sure all products we buy, use and
endorse are multi-use. Single use plastics,
disposable items and unsustainable
products are simply not a part of our
manta: “Healthy People, Healthy Planet”.
You can refuse to allow your
lifestyle to negatively impact your world.
Seek a homegrownplant-based diet, opt
for reusablesover single-use, andtogether,
we can keep our planet healthy.

4. REDUCE
REDUCEis to limit the amount of
waste you create in the first place. This
includes buying products with less
packaging and choosing the most
sustainable options.
At Planet Earth Games, we always
try to minimize our carbon footprint and so
we are careful to create as little waste as
possible.

5. REUSE
REUSEmeans to use something
again that you would normally throw
away. When you reuse, you use fewer
natural resources and also save the energy
that is needed to make a replacement.
At Planet Earth Games, before we
throw anything away, we always ask,
“What could we do with this?” Even if it is
just reusing plastic bags, one extra use
saves more plastic from the landfill. We
believe in thecircular economy, that
means a future where we can eliminate
waste!

6. RECYCLE
RECYCLEmeans the product goes through a mechanical process to
change its form. Recycling saves energy, resources and materials from creating
brand new products.
By recycling a single tin can we can save enough energy to power a TV
for three hours! At Planet Earth Games, we love anything that’s made from paper,
cardboard or metal.
Once you have reduced and reused as much as you can, check if the
item you are about to discard is recyclable! Use your recycling bins to recycle as
much as you can. Make sure you check with your local council; they are always
adding materials to their recycling lists!

7. Packaging waste 101: the
problem

8. What is the problem?
Plastics are a product of human innovation
as they are lightweight, durable, decay resistant,
inexpensive and moldable. Unfortunately, this
innovation comes at a price.
Plastic packaging is extremely wasteful and
impacts earth’s ecosystems, on which we
depend. Due to poor product design and lack of
political infrastructure, the majority of plastic
waste is sent to landfills or disposed of into the
environment. 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been
produced, of which only 9 percent has been
recycled properly.

9. Corporations are
supplying the rapidly
growing populations with
single-use plastic.
Thegraph to the
rightshows the projected
four-fold increase in
plastic production
tonnage by 2050.

10. What are the environmental
costs?
Reducing overall plastic
packaging is imperative to
mitigating further environmental
damage for numerous reasons:
Reduce waste
Landfill space is limited. As
of now, 91 percent of packaging
waste is sent to the landfills and/or
in the environment. Reducing
single-use plastics and increasing
the usage of biodegradable
materials would lighten the load
for waste-management systems
around the world and increase
efficiency for the necessary waste
needed for processing.

11. What are the environmental
costs?
Conserve resources
Plastics are made out of natural resources, like crude oil,
natural gas and coal. Extracting natural resources for material
needs for an ever-growing population serves long-lasting effects
on the environment (deforestation, fracking, oil and gas leaking,
etc.) Reducing the amount of plastic packaging produced would
inherently decrease the demand for such resources, leaving the
planet and the ecosystems, on which we all depend, stable.
Conserve energy
Creating new materials from existing materials naturally
uses less energy than using raw materials. According to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling one pound of
polyethylene (the most commonly used material in plastic water
bottles) conserves up to 12,000 BTUs (British thermal units) of heat
energy. Recycling processes use up to two-thirds less energy than
traditional manufacturing, significantly reducing the strain on the
traditional power grid, which relies heavily on burning fossil fuels.

12. What are the environmental
costs?
Reduce GHG emissions
Plastic manufacturing is energy intensive and emits greenhouse
gases, such as carbon dioxide, which to a certain degree, are damaging
to the environment and atmosphere and contribute heavily to global
warming. EPA estimates that every family can reduce their carbon dioxide
emissions by up to 340 pounds annually, simply by recycling their plastic
waste
Decrease Pollution
Due to poor waste management systems around the world, the
majority of plastic packaging that is sent to landfills ends up in our natural
environments. 8 million tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year.
Plastic pollution threatens wildlife, alters ecosystems and poses risks to
human health. Reducing the production of plastic packaging would
decrease the chance of such damage.
Moreover, plastic waste that is sent to landfills is ultimately
incinerated to make room for more incoming waste. Burning plastic emits
toxic pollutants and irritants into the air we breathe. Reducing the amount
of plastic waste sent to landfills can dramatically increase air quality
around the world.

13. Packaging Life Cycle Analysis

14. What is a Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA)?
As we all know too well, comparing the environmental
implications of different choices is very complex. Is it better to eat an
organic tomato from Spain or a non-organic tomato grown in your
state? Is it better to use recycled plastic manufactured in California or
virgin paper manufactured in China? Is it better to buy used furniture
or FSC certified wood furniture?
A life-cycle assessment (LCA) identifies, quantifies, and
analyzes sources of environmental impacts throughout a product’s life
cycle. It scrutinizes all of the activities involved in making, using, and
disposing of the product. The goal of an LCA is to enable your business
to prioritize steps to make eco-friendly improvements to your processes
or products. It helps you compare the environmental impact of
different materials and manufacturing processes to determine the
optimal option.
A typical life cycle chain moves from raw material extraction
to production, then to use, and disposal. All of these steps use energy,
materials, and other resources, as well as produce emissions and
waste.

15. What’s Involved in a packaging
LCA?
The International Organization for
Standardization has createdprinciples and a
frameworkfor conducting any type of LCA. Various
vendors offer software to ease the process, which can
be complicated. For example, the Sustainable
Packaging Coalition has developed the design
assessment softwareCOMPASS, which enables
companies to compare the environmental impacts of
packaging. This type of software lets you input the data
you collect during your LCA. By analyzing the results,
you’ll discover insights into your packaging’s carbon
footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, and other
environmental indicators. You can also outsource your
LCA to a business that specializes in these assessments.

16. Four Components of Life-cycle
Analysis and Example Outcomes
1.Goal definition and scoping
−Define and describe the product, process or activity. Establish the context
in which the assessment is to be made and identify the boundaries and
environmental effects to be reviewed for the assessment.
2.Inventory analysis
−Identify and quantify energy, water and materials usage and
environmental releases (e.g., air emissions, solid waste disposal, waste
water discharges).
3.Impact assessment
−Assess the potential human and ecological effects of energy, water, and
material usage and the environmental releases identified in the inventory
analysis.
4.Interpretation
−Evaluate the results of the inventory analysis and impact assessment to
select the preferred product, process or service with a clear understanding
of the uncertainty and the assumptions used to generate the results.

17. Cradle-to-Cradle Concept

18. THE MODERN PACKAGING
INDUSTRY

19. 1. Simplified Design
One of the biggest shifts in modern packaging designs is a move
towards minimal and simplified versions. Packaging now uses bold colors
and clean labeling that puts the product in the front, and not the brand.
Even though the use of bold colors have often been associated with the
packaging of children’s products, colors and now a key part of all
modern packaging design. Moreover, sticking to a certain color palette
also helps to unify the different products of the brand, and makes the
brand more noticeable on the shelf.

20. 2. Cleaner Labeling
Cleaner labeling is convenient. Large sized capitalized
texts showing exactly what is in the packaging makes
consumers more aware of what they are buying. With the
increase in veganism, as well as food tolerances, brands are
ensuring that they communicate with their consumers as
clearly as possible. Furthermore, clean labels are also a sign of
transparency and something end users will appreciate.

21. 3. Sustainability
Excessing packaging has always
been quite frustrating. The create a lot of
waste. Places like Iceland has already
started taking action against redundant
packaging. For an instant, the box that
comes with toothpaste serves no
additional purpose. It simply makes the
product look better. That is why the
country is now selling toothpaste without
boxes.
The360 paper bottleis the
perfect example of sustainable
packaging. The packaging is made from
palm leaves, bamboo, and other natural
plant products and uses an extremely
thin polylacticacid layer for barrier
properties. PLA is highly degradable, just
like the other natural counterparts. Once
the seal is broken, the paper cap can be
clipped onto the bottle to reduce litter..

22. 4. Convenience Features
In many cases, the
packaging is a part of the
product itself and not something
that is to be thrown away. Brands
are making reusable packaging
with added convenience
features that allows the end users
to keep the packaging for safe
storage. For instance, a lot of
breakfast cereal brands, brands
selling dry fruits and health drinks
are shipping the product
inreusable metallized zip
pouchesthat retain the freshness
of the product for a very long
time.

23. 5. Unconventional Designs
Even though we are now used to the
standard designs available in the market,
unconventional designs of packaging allow
products to stand out of the crowd. They
also allow manufacturers to explore different
forms and see which one is more
sustainable. For instance, the Method hand
wash bottles use a slightly unconventional
design that allows it to stand out on the store
shelves while providing a familiar feel when it
comes to functionality. TheTetra Evero
Aseptic bottleis another example where the
carton is turned into a cylindrical bottle. This
gives 360 degrees of printing surface. The
bottle is also much easier to grip than the
carton.