Environmental friendly packaging is one way that can be done to make the planet safer and greener for future generations. It will reduce the risk that leads to the environment and is likely to have a positive impact on nature.
Weather changes are increasingly visible in sight. The threat now really felt when the weather instantly changed in just a matter of hours. Extreme weather changes are one of the effects of global warming that is affected by the amount of pollution on the planet. The sources of pollution are diverse, one of them from products that are not environmentally friendly.
When using products that are not environmentally friendly, the chemicals contained n will be released into the air and contaminate the environment. Contaminated air can harm human health, as well as planetary safety. Therefore, replacing with environmentally friendly materials can help reduce pollution and slowing the climate change due to global warming of using hazardous chemicals.
Today many companies are raising their awareness and making products more environmentally friendly. They began to pay attention to their product, packaging, and the material impact on the environment. From plastic packaging that is difficult to decompose and pollute nature, industry players are starting to actively seek out an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic replacement.
Here we summarize 3 of the environmentally friendly packaging:
3 Environmental Friendly Packaging Alternatives
- Mushrooms
Swedish retail giant Ikea found the concept of fungus-based packaging as an alternative to biodegradation for polystyrene after digging deeper. Mushrooms are one of the most widely consumed commodities in the world, both for cooking and as medicine. Apparently, every inch of mushrooms can be used to pack, from the umbrella (outer shell) to the stems and roots.
Outer skin – There is a mycelial sheath under the outer shell of a fungus that can be mixed with other natural ingredients such as wheat to create a binding mixture together to form a solid. The mixture can then be formed as needed.
Stems – Mushroom stalks can be used as an alternative to Styrofoam, a foam shaped like a peanut (packing peanuts), something to get when ordering fragile ingredients for bearings. Some of them can even be eaten as well.
Root – The root of the mushroom also contains media, so it can be used to pack the goods.
- Potatoes
A fancy champagne company called Veuve Clicquot is driven to create eco-friendly packaging in 2014. The French-based champagne company produces world-renowned champagne.
Innovations in eco-friendly packaging that they find produce “Naturally Clicquot”. There are 3 versions released, versions 1 and 2 using potato flour as ingredients in amalgam which are then mixed with natural fibers, paper, and water. The package is also isothermal and can keep the same temperature.
- Wine
Still related to Veuve Clicquot, after the previously successful “Naturally Clicquot” campaign, the company released version 3 of the eco-friendly champagne pack.
In version 3, the process becomes slimmer and cleaner. They dump the potato starch and replace it with the grape skin. Similar to previous versions, carton packaging is made from a combination of water, natural fiber, and grape skin.
So there are some examples of alternative packaging that is more environmentally friendly than plastic.
Advantages of Using Environmental Friendly Packaging
Eco-friendly packaging or so-called sustainable packaging is one solution to overcome the global warming of environmental pollution is rife. Although now many products made from environmentally friendly, not everything is packed in environmentally friendly materials.
As the name suggests, eco-friendly packaging will minimize its impact on the environment and the carbon footprint left behind is not much. Other advantages that can be obtained from this type of packaging are:
- Environment-friendly packaging can be recycled and composted.
- This product is cheaper in the long run than other popular ideas.
- Tax incentives available in some countries for companies using environmentally friendly materials.
- Eco-friendly business will enhance the brand image
With technological advancements that are growing will certainly be very helpful in packaging products in a sustainable manner. There will certainly be plenty of other green options available in the future. Only, do we have the initiative initiated come into our mind? The sooner the desire to switch to the environmental friendly packaging, the better the impact to the planet.
