{"id":23896,"date":"2020-10-30T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T09:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.specpage.com\/?p=23896"},"modified":"2020-10-30T11:36:13","modified_gmt":"2020-10-30T10:36:13","slug":"plastic-series-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.specpage.com\/plastic-series-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Packaging, Part II: Eliminating waste by eating it"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our previous blog of this series, we learned that plastic packaging, though useful for food preservation, are harmful to the environment for their low recyclability rates; consumers are misinformed about effective recycling practices, biodegradable materials aren\u2019t as compostable as assumed, and many plastics are not easily sortable. The end result? Less plastics that can be reused, and more plastics that are discarded in landfills.<\/p>\n

If plastics are harmful, what\u2019s the solution? Particularly, what is the solution for the food and beverage (F&B<\/a>) industry \u2013 which needs packaging to safely preserve and maintain the quality of food? In other words, more is at stake when changes are made to current packaging practices because the safety aspect cannot be compromised.<\/p>\n

Aside from information regarding the tried and true glass and aluminum materials, this second blog of the series offers different alternatives to plastics that are still safe, but more exciting: edible packaging.<\/p>\n

Better recyclables.<\/h2>\n

Currently, without the necessity of significant innovations, glass and aluminum are better packaging alternatives to plastic.<\/p>\n

Glass<\/h3>\n

On top of being 100% recyclable<\/a> and not susceptible to degradation of quality once recycled, glass also has very high recyclability rates. In the EU, over 70% of glass that is produced is recycled, with some countries like Belgium, Slovenia, and Sweden each having 90% or more recycle rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, in the US, glass is the only packaging material that has been designated as fully safe according to the FDA. Unlike plastic which is made from numerous fibers and potentially harmful materials, glass is made entirely from natural sources<\/a> such as sand, soda ash, etc. This means that consumers have no reason to stress about ingesting materials that may harm the body with glass jars and bottles.<\/p>\n

Aluminum<\/h3>\n

Much like glass, aluminum is also 100% recyclable<\/a> and can also be reused many times without experiencing any loss of purity or quality. It is also cheaper to produce aluminum cans from recycled aluminum than new material which means that it is cost effective.<\/p>\n

Aluminum is an especially important material for the food industry because it is the only material<\/a> which can withstand all food storage and cooking conditions. Aluminum cans can be placed in freezers, aluminum pans can be used for oven baking, and aluminum sheets can be placed on grills – all without compromises to the properties of the material. In other words, it can be very useful for F&B producers who create products that must undergo different conditions for consumption.<\/p>\n

The transition<\/h3>\n

Given the qualities of these materials, transitioning packages from plastic to glass\/aluminum could be a step in the right direction. However, given how their properties are not easily affected by external conditions, these materials take even longer to decompose than plastic if they do end up in landfills.<\/p>\n

Consequently, innovations are still necessary for F&B packaging.<\/p>\n

An exciting solution? Edible packaging.<\/h2>\n

Instead, companies and scientists are coming up with new options for packaging that need to neither recycle nor biodegrade. Instead, this packaging can be eaten. Currently, many sustainably-driven startups are focusing on such innovations:<\/p>\n