Sustainable packaging: what they are, examples and advantages

Sustainable packaging causes less damage to the environment and health, but it also has disadvantages. Understand

sustainable packaging

Sustainable packaging is a way to reduce the damage caused by disposals. Sustainable packaging is mainly made of organic and/or recyclable material, which does not require a lot of energy and natural resources in its production and which, after its disposal, have reduced environmental impacts, which can be measured through the Life Cycle Assessment (ACV) of products.

  • Understand the environmental impact of plastic waste on the food chain

This is the case, for example, of biodegradable coconut fiber packaging, recycled paper, among others. These types of packaging are alternatives to conventional plastic. But the market also launched oxo-biodegradable plastic packaging that dispute the category of "sustainable packaging". See below for examples of sustainable packaging and learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Sustainable packaging

glass packaging

sustainable packaging

You weren't waiting for this one? Well, know that glass packaging is considered sustainable! Despite using sand in their production, they can be easily reused (even at home), do not release toxic substances and can be recycled several times (when properly disposed of).

The advantage of glass over biodegradable packaging (which uses vegetable raw materials) is that its production does not compete with food production.

aluminum packaging

sustainable packaging

Despite depending on the mining activity, aluminum packaging can be considered sustainable, as it is infinitely recyclable! Also, aluminum is not toxic to the body (but you need to be careful with bisphenol, a type of plastic that lines food cans and acts as an endocrine disruptor).

  • Endocrine disruptors alter the hormonal system and can cause disturbances even in small amounts
  • Know the types of bisphenol and their risks
  • [Video] Plastic straw stuck in turtle nostril is removed by researchers
  • Plastic in the seas chokes sharks and harms other marine animals

mushroom packing

sustainable packaging

Image: Biodegradable packaging made by Ecovative Design using mycelium biomaterial from agricultural waste by mycobond is licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Mushroom packages are made from mushroom roots grown on dead leaves, humus and a variety of substances, which lead to materials of different textures, flexibility and durability. In addition to being biodegradable, the material is edible (but it is not advisable to ingest it).

The disadvantages of biodegradable mushroom packaging are its high cost and the fact that it is potentially competitive with resources that could be used to produce food.

Recycled paper packaging

sustainable packaging

Recycled paper packaging is also sustainable packaging. They are mainly developed to perform the function of protecting utensils that need to be carried. The main benefits of recycled paper packaging are the enhancement of the product's lifetime and the maximization of the value extracted from raw materials. Another advantage is the energy saved. However, with each new recycling, the paper loses its quality and possibility of being recycled.

Cassava starch packaging

sustainable packaging

Cassava starch packaging is also part of the sustainable packaging category. They are compostable, biocompatible and recyclable. However, the cost is more than double what you pay for Styrofoam. And they can only be used for dry or immediate consumption. Otherwise, in contact with moisture for a long time, they break up.

  • What is compost and how to make it

Sugarcane bagasse packaging

sustainable packaging

A young woman from Curitiba created biodegradable packaging to replace styrofoam. Sayuri Magnabosco, aged just 16, used sugarcane bagasse to make a material that decomposes in just one month.

Its costs and potential to be implemented on a large scale, however, were not accounted for.

PLA plastic packaging

PLA plastic, or better said, polylactic acid plastic, is a biodegradable plastic that can be used as food packaging, cosmetics, in the production of bags, bottles, pens, glass, lids, cutlery, among others.

In the PLA plastic production process, bacteria produce lactic acid through the fermentation process of starch-rich vegetables such as beets, corn and cassava.

In addition to being biodegradable, packaging made from PLA plastic is mechanically and chemically recyclable, biocompatible and bioabsorbable. They are obtained from renewable sources (vegetables) and, when properly disposed of, turn into harmless substances because they are easily degraded by water.

The disadvantage of PLA plastic is that, for adequate degradation to occur, PLA plastic disposal must be made in composting plants, where there are adequate conditions of light, humidity, temperature and the correct amount of microorganisms and, unfortunately, most of the Brazilian waste ends up in landfills and dumps, where there is no guarantee that the material will biodegrade 100%. And worse, usually the conditions of dumps and landfills cause degradation to be anaerobic, that is, with a low concentration of oxygen, causing the release of methane gas, one of the most problematic gases for the imbalance of the greenhouse effect.

Another unfeasibility is that the production cost of biodegradable PLA packaging is still high, which makes the product a little more expensive than conventional ones.

And the Brazilian, European and American standards allow the mixture of PLA with other non-biodegradable plastics to improve its characteristics and, even so, qualify as biodegradable.

To learn more about this topic, take a look at the article: "PLA: biodegradable and compostable plastic".

Plastic packaging of corn and bacteria

sustainable packaging

This type of packaging is a plastic made through the biosynthesis of carbohydrates from sugarcane, corn, or vegetable oils from soy and palm.

As well as biodegradable PLA packaging, packaging made from corn and biosynthesis by bacteria is biocompatible (does not promote toxic and immunological reactions) and biodegradable. However, this type of plastic cannot be used in off-the-shelf packaging, as it can contaminate food, unless it is for serving food at the time. Another disadvantage of this type of packaging is that it is, on average, 40% more expensive than conventional packaging. To learn more about this topic, take a look at the article: "Bacteria + corn = plastic".

Coconut fiber packaging

sustainable packaging

Sustainable coconut fiber packaging was primarily developed for food packaging. Unlike some types of plastic - such as those with bisphenols, for example - coconut fiber packaging is not harmful to the human body. They are sustainable packaging because they do not require a lot of technology to be developed, are made from national raw materials, can return to the factory to be recycled and can be biodegraded if placed in the ground.

Oxo-biodegradable packaging

sustainable packaging

Oxo-biodegradable packaging is made from petroleum-derived plastic with pro-degradable additives, which accelerate the material's fragmentation with the help of oxygen, light, temperature and humidity. The biodegradability of the material, however, is controversial, as the biodegradation time (by microorganisms) of the fragmented plastic, or microplastic, after chemical degradation, will be the same as that of conventional plastic. Therefore, it is still open whether oxo-biodegradable plastic packaging can be considered sustainable packaging.

  • Microplastics: one of the main pollutants in the oceans
  • There are microplastics in salt, food, air and water
  • The danger of microplastics in exfoliants

real sustainability

Packaging is a growing necessity because of the rush of modern life and it turns out to be very useful. But it is always worth remembering that the best way to avoid the damage caused by them is not to use them. Especially plastic ones, which, when discarded incorrectly or when they escape from landfills through wind and rain, because they take a long time to decompose, have their risks - such as suffocation of animals, entry into the food chain, contamination by endocrine disruptors, among others - increased.

Furthermore, the biodegradability of packaging cannot be an excuse for incorrect disposal. It is just a way to mitigate the environmental impacts of wrongful disposal or that escape through the wind and rain into the environment.

Many sustainable packages are not yet economically viable and, therefore, we must also think about sustainability for conventional plastic ones. And recycling is a great alternative for them (those that are recyclable), as it extends the life of the product and saves energy. From this point of view, aluminum and glass packaging are also sustainable options, as they can be recycled several times and still do not present the same risk to organisms as plastic.

  • Most plastics release hormone-like compounds, which can trick the body and bring health problems
  • Know the types of plastic

To learn how to reduce your consumption of packaging and organic waste, take a look at the articles: "How to reduce plastic waste in the world? Check out essential tips" and "Guide on how to reduce household waste".

Dispose correctly

Do you need to discard packaging? Find collection stations closest to your home on the free search engines at eCycle portal .



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