Packaging, from ammo packaging to thermoformed packaging, is hugely important in the United States (and in many other places around the world). But retail packaging is not always ideal, as packaging such as thermoformed packaging and clamshell packaging, among other types of packaging, is not always environmentally friendly. In fact, this packaging such as thermoformed packaging can have a decidedly negative impact on the environment at large, contributing to pollution in the land as well as in the water
In just one year, more than thirty one million tons of plastic waste is improperly disposed. While it is bad enough for plastic waste to end up in a landfill, this improper disposal has had a massive hand at negatively impacting other places in our planet. Particularly harmed by plastic waste has been the ocean. And while plastic packaging like thermoformed packaging is not the only plastic culprit, it has become widespread and widely used and therefore plays a significant role in plastic waste pollution and detrimental effects. It is estimated that there are currently at least one hundred and fifty million tons of plastic in oceans and other such bodies of water throughout the world, and this number is only set and anticipated to increase in the years to come. In fact, by the year of 2050, just over thirty years from this date, it is expected for the number of plastic items in the ocean to outnumber the number of live fish in oceans throughout the world, a truly devastating prospect.
The damages that plastic causes in an ocean extends both near and wide. Of course, it destroys marine habitats, wiping out populations of fish and other marine life forms and animals as a result. It is also directly dangerous to such marine life, often choking marine animals and making them ill if they try to consume plastic waste that they find and unfortunately mistake for food. And plastic packaging waste such as thermoformed packaging can be financially debilitating as well. In just one year, plastic packaging disposed of improperly in the ocean will cause more than ten billion dollars in damages (around thirteen billion dollars in damages in total).
Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to help prevent the amount of plastic waste that ends up not only in our oceans, but in our landfills as well. Reducing the amount of plastic that is produced and later discarded is beneficial primarily to our oceans, it is true, but can have a positive impact on many aspects of our planet. For one, reusable plastic reduces the amount of total plastic that needs to be produced. Recyclable plastic is also becoming more and more popular, and, for some companies, plastic that decomposes has become utilized for a number of products.
These steps to reduce waste and increase the overall eco friendliness of a company or business can even bring them increased revenue, as more than half of people (fifty two percent, to be more exact) worldwide often choose their brands based on the social and environmental footprint that the brand is committed to. Environmentally friendly packaging has been shown to influence the purchasing decisions of as much as forty five percent of the population throughout the United States, and even in the world at large, as more and more people become interested in environmental preservation and even, in some cases, activism.
The environment is hugely important, this is of no question or doubt. However, our environment is suffering because of consumption of plastic products and the like. There are steps we can take to reduce this harm, but it is important that they are implemented widely and that their important is impressed upon the general population. While each small change counts and can make a difference, the bigger the change, the better – especially when it comes to the issue of plastic waste. From thermoformed packaging to clam packaging to utility storage boxes, changing the way that we use plastic can make a change in the world.