The Dilemmas Of Biodegradable Packaging
Plastic, and especially substances such as styrofoam, are harmful for the environment. But people still need some kind of packing materials to store and move their materials in. This is where biodegradable packaging comes in.
There are issues with the term biodegradable itself, unfortunately. Until recently, there were no laws and no regulation of the use of the term in the United States. Though there is still no legal definition of the term, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has started to prosecute companies that use the term in a fraudulent or purposefully misleading manner.
Just because a material biodegrades does not mean that it is environmentally safe. Some products that break down actually produce secondary products that are more toxic than the originals. Many legitimate and safe products still will not break down without the proper environment, which generally includes air, water, and microbial access. This is a condition not met in many landfills, when the products are packed in under other trash.
For green products to bring their full benefits to society, garbage and recycling companies need to include a composting program, too. Some of them do now, and this is a great step forward, because the composting process is quite suitable for breaking down green packing materials. The use of green packing is great, but in order to reap all the benefits, society needs to push for more composting projects, too, though.
Working towards a goal of using more and more biodegradable packaging is still important, though. Composting programs are being created every day, and even those materials that end up in the landfill are likely to eventually receive a chance to degrade as they are supposed to. When that time comes, they will be able to break down into natural materials very rapidly.
People and companies that use a lot of packing materials, such as the food industry, have a responsibility to push the use of green products. As the major consumers of these products, the use of their purchasing power to buy green products puts pressure on other companies to produce them and make them widely available. This benefits everyone who is looking for green packaging material by making it easier to find.
For Bio-degradable Packaging and other compostable package products, you need look no further than W.F. Denny. They offer nationwide deliveries of eco-friendly products, as well as standard packaging and catering disposables.
