After learning of the compostable bag created by Sunchips for their chip products, I became curious as to what other manufacturers were doing to make their product packaging more enviornmentally friendly. Clearly, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the concept of "green," and manufacturers are responding.
According to a New York Times article, even beauty supply and cosmetic companies are revamping their product line to include sustainable packaging and environmentally friendly (natural and organic) products. I personally have seen and purchased products that are sustainable, and am more drawn to reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable packaging for any product that I buy. I recently came across a great blog on the topic, that has many insightful articles about biodegradable and recyclable packaging, and even offers great ways to reuse packaging or make it more stylish.
It will be interesting to see how the market continues to respond to consumers' damands for more sustainable packaging of their products. I recently read that 70% of the material in landfills is product packaging. 70%! That number is amazingly high! Considering what packaging is made of (usually plastics, which are made of toxins), that number could have been easily avoided through more conscious design of product packaging.
The United States is still likely many years away from any legitimate and worthy legislation to address the issue of product packaging (manufacturers' pockets are deep, no doubt), but other countries are taking steps to address the issue.
Germany is one of the first countries to regulate product packaging. Currently, German law dictates that any product sold or manufactured (even imported) in Germany must comply with German packcaging regulations. These regulations require suppliers to take back and recycle up to 70% of their packaging and submit audited documents as proof. Noncompliance can lead to fines of £30,000.
Germany has also developed alternatives to suppliers taking their products back. Companies have the option to participate in the "Green Dot" program. The program is run by Duales System Deutschland AG (DSD). DSD is a not-for-profit organization that independently recovers and recycles packaging put into circulation in Germany on behalf of those participating in the program. Everyone wins. Do you think a system like this could work in the US? I'm sure many would be against it, but we have seem some states and municipalities ban the use of plastic bags in stores, so who knows. I sure hope so.
Product packaging is important to consider when making purchases, especially when it comes to nonessential items, where consumers have the most power. By purchasing only those products that have environmentally friendly packaging, you can do your small part to encourage more companies to follow suit and create a better and safer world for us all.
Do you pay attention to product packaging? What are some of your favorite products that have sustainable, biodegradable, or recyclabe packaging?
Feel free to share your comments below.
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