As far as packaging concerned, it is vital that it is either recyclable of biodegradable. For example, instead of throwing out newspapers and glass bottles with their household rubbish, people in several countries are being encouraged to put these in special containers to allow the material to be recycled. Some household waste, such as vegetable peelings, is naturally biodegradable and so decomposes gradually until it disappears.
Man-made goods are not so easily disposed of. Goods and packaging made of plastic create waste material that is particularly difficult to get rid of. This meansthat huge landfill sites have to be dug out so as to bury the plastic waste underground, possibly causing problems for future generations.
There’s a lot of packaging going around the world. Companies like Amazon, USPS, FedEx and UPS ship millions of packages a day. Amazon alone ships 5 billion Prime packages a year 5 billion Prime packages a year, or over 13 million packages a day. And industrial shipments add many more.
There’s a lot of packaging going around the world. Companies like Amazon, USPS, FedEx and UPS ship millions of packages a day. Amazon alone ships 5 billion Prime packages a year 5 billion Prime packages a year, or over 13 million packages a day. And industrial shipments add many more.
All these packages flying around the globe are great for our convenience, but they’re not always so great for the environment. Materials like cardboard boxes have low ecological impact, but many other materials, like plastic packaging and Styrofoam packing peanuts, will not biodegrade, and they’re not recyclable. And consumer packaging, such the rings around soda cans and bottles, adds even more waste.
According to the EPA, packaging contributes to an astonishing 77.9 tons of municipal solid waste per year— almost 30% of the total amount of waste. And packaging represents a staggering 65% of all household trash.
According to the EPA, packaging contributes to an astonishing 77.9 tons of municipal solid waste per year— almost 30% of the total amount of waste. And packaging represents a staggering 65% of all household trash.