| | JULY 20228INDUSTRY INSIGHTST hat does sustainability even mean? United Nations committee defined it as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. If too many of us use resources inefficiently or generate waste too quickly for the environment to absorb and process, future generations won't be able to meet their needs. Packaging waste poses a serious threat to the environment. Over 70 percent of packaging that gets disposed is single use disposed on average in less than 15 minutes of use. This packaging then either stays on the planet forever in landfills, broken micro particles, carbon gas emissions or in the bellies of animals and fishes. The wide-scale use of single-use packaging is not only polluting the rivers, oceans, and soil, but it is harming the human lives as well. Hence, not long ago sustainable packaging became one of the many ways to protect the environment. Needless to say, the aim of sustainable packaging is clear ­ to reduce the carbon footprint.Plus, sustainable packaging is not just about recycling but it focuses on all phases from packaging, distribution to logistics. While sustainable packaging involves increased use of life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to reduce the environmental impact and ecological footprint, there has also been a rise in myths engulfing sustainable packaging. Here we bust some of these myths:1) Sustainability is all about Recycling!In fact, we only `down cycle' and it may not help us at all in some cases as we're still dealing with limited and sometimes diminishing resources. In many cases, recycling may work as a temporary band-aid, but the proper solution is something else. As a matter of fact, recycling actually takes up more energy and resources from the environment than it saves. The best is to reuse, re-purpose or repair. Pass on those unwanted clothes, use old packaging for storage.2) Biodegradable & Compostable are Synonymous!Biodegradable and compostable are two words which are often used interchangeably but there is a vast difference between these two terms. While biodegradable items refer to just any material which breaks down and decomposes in the environment, compostable goods are specifically organic matter which breaks down, the end product having many beneficial uses which include fertilizing and improving soil health. Most importantly compostable items don't leave toxic residue behind because it's already organic. Unlike compostable, certain biodegradable products can take several years to break down and in some cases even leave toxic waste behind.3) All Compostable Materials will Turn to Manure whenDisposed off!You buy compostable cutlery and feel good that it is going to turn into manure. Truth be told, it is not necessary. If you read the fine print, it might be written that this product is industrially compostable. What does that means? It refers to the ability of that packaging to biodegrade and BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PACKAGINGBy Swati Aggarwal, Brand Head, YashPakkasustainable packaging is not just about recycling but it focuses on all phases from packaging, distribution to logistics. While sustainable packaging involves increased use of life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to reduce the environmental impact and ecological footprint, there has also been a rise in myths engulfing sustainable packaging
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