We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Environment

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is Environmentally-Friendly Packaging?

By J.M. Densing
Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 8,763
Share

The term environmentally-friendly packaging refers to any changes that manufacturers make that lessen the impact of these materials on the environment. Packaging materials can have a huge impact on the environment, particularly those that are disposed of immediately or those made of plastic that do not break down. Implementing environmentally-friendly packaging practices can include using recycled or biodegradable materials, reducing the amount of packaging for a product, or adopting reusable or refillable containers. It can also include reducing the waste and emissions that are produced in the process of manufacturing the packaging materials.

Packaging material makes up a large percentage of the waste since it often has no useful purpose once a product is purchased. Often made of plastic, these materials can linger in landfills for thousands of years. In many areas, packaging waste is damaging the environment by hurting wildlife; animals can become entangled in it or become ill after ingesting it. This type of waste does not break down and enrich the soil in the same manner as organic materials do. In many places, there is no room to store it; in some areas, it is dumped into the ocean and disrupts the aquatic ecosystem.

In response to this problem, many groups concerned about the environment have been advocating for companies to increase the use of environmentally-friendly packaging, also known as sustainable or green packaging. The term environmentally-friendly packaging often refers to materials that are less harmful than those that were previously utilized. This is sometimes misleading because the packaging materials may still be harmful, just less so. In other cases, the changes represent genuine improvements.

There are many ways that manufacturers can modify packaging materials to make them less harmful to the environment. One way to switch to environmentally-friendly packaging is to change the type of the materials. Manufacturers can switch to recycled packaging which lessen the environmental impact because the recycling process keeps materials out of landfills. Another possible change is to use biodegradable materials that will break down over time.

A relatively simple way to implement environmentally-friendly packaging is to reduce the amount that is used, so that less material is being thrown away. Another possibility is to increase the use of containers that can be refilled and reused, which can significantly reduce waste. In addition, packaging can be made more environmentally friendly by improving the manufacturing process. Examples include reducing the waste produced by factories and lowering the levels of harmful emissions manufacturing plants release into the air.

Share
All Things Nature is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By Ana1234 — On Apr 13, 2014

@Iluviaporos - That's nice in theory, but in reality it would be better if most packaging was just biodegradable and environmentally friendly and there was no other choice. I don't care how much you educate the public, there are always going to be those who either don't care, or would rather be selfish.

Usually I think people should be allowed to make their own choices, but when it comes to environmental issues, we should all be involved and all make the right choices because our choices effect every other person around us and around the world.

Earth friendly packaging shouldn't be a consumer choice. It should be the default.

By lluviaporos — On Apr 12, 2014

@browncoat - The problem is that people are so germphobic, they probably will just throw out the edible packaging because it touched hands. Food packaging companies aren't saving money by putting plastic around every single thing they sell, so they must be doing it because the consumer prefers it.

I mean, I've even seen individually wrapped bananas at the supermarket and they already come wrapped in a biodegradable wrapper, so I don't think providing another one is going to make a difference. It's hearts and minds we have to change, not the wrapping itself.

By browncoat — On Apr 12, 2014

I was reading about this recently for a school project and apparently the next big thing in food packaging is going to be edible packaging. They are currently trying out different ways to package food that will be safe and which you can just eat.

Obviously not the packaging that goes on the shelf, but so many things these days come individually wrapped it's ridiculous. This way you could have individually wrapped pieces of fudge, without a bunch of extra plastic bags to throw out.

Share
https://www.allthingsnature.org/what-is-environmentally-friendly-packaging.htm
Copy this link
All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.