The Effects Food Packaging Has On The Environment

Now more than ever, many of us are becoming much more aware of our environmental impact, doing what we can to make smaller lifestyle changes and minimise our footprint. Although making small switches such as bringing our own carrier bags to the shops and switching the light off as you leave the room can go a long way, food packaging is an area which can be hard to cut down on. For many of us, convenience and familiarity are a huge part of our lifestyle, with food packaging being something that we as consumers have limited control over.

Although heading to local farms to buy fresh produce and finding organic food items that are created more sustainably is an option, it can be inconvenient and pricey to do so, feeling out of reach for many consumers. Food brands have a responsibility to produce packaging that is as eco-friendly as possible whilst maintaining the freshness and quality of the goods within, doing their bit to minimise environmental impact. Nowadays, there is so much recyclable, biodegradable and compostable food packaging available on the market which makes it easier than ever to make the switch. As well as reflecting well on the business, this helps eco-conscious consumers do their bit by ethically disposing of the packaging, minimising the amount of single use packaging that makes its way to landfill sites.

For many products, we still see plastics being used as a main form of packaging which is contributing towards the larger problems. Although for some products it can be difficult to store them in other materials, brands are having to find alternative approaches as the impact of plastic is becoming more and more apparent.

We see around nine million tons of plastic make its way to landfill sites across Europe which is having a huge effect on our planet. As well as polluting the land, this plastic is making its way into areas of natural beauty and into our oceans, causing huge problems for our wildlife. As well as the risk of suffocation, land and sea animals eat the plastic packaging that is left lying around which fills up their stomach and fails to break down, causing malnourishment and starvation. With many dead animals having been found to have plastic particles in their digestive system, the scale of the problem is becoming incredibly apparent since the plastic fails to break down for thousands of years, creating a big threat to wildlife all over the world.

In the more urban environments, the impact of incorrectly disposed food packaging has become visible as it takes a toll on our public services. With the lightweight nature of the empty packaging being carried with the wind or water supplies, it can lead to blockages as well as being an eye sore in public areas. By taking a toll on our public services and councils, the need to pick up this waste detracts budget from important areas such as healthcare and education.


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