The rise in online shopping means that companies are needing to package their materials to make them suitable for transit. Companies will of course want to make sure that their products reach their customers in good condition, but many people have highlighted in the past few years the often-excessive seeming amount of packaging that is used when they receive their goods that they ordered online.
This has led to some companies seeking out more environmentally friendly forms of packaging and looking into ways that they can protect their products whilst in transit, but also reducing the waste and the environmental impact.
Here are three of the most common packaging materials, and what it is that makes them so popular for packaging in the first place…
Cardboard – This is a packaging material that many of us are used to. Cardboard boxes are one of the most common types of packaging, as they are versatile and come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Cardboard is also a great packaging material for the planet. It is easy to recycle and easy to find a recycling centre that will take cardboard. Cardboard can also be recycled many times, so it is much more environmentally friendly than many other materials.
Another great use for cardboard is in compost – it is a material that is biodegradable and can be added to your compost bin, so it adds to the environment in that way too.
Plastics – These are one of the most common packaging materials, but unfortunately are also bad for the planet, and new ways to replace them are needed. Plastics are used a lot as they are waterproof, easy to make and cheap to produce. However, their environmental impact is simply far too much of a toll, so companies are being urged by many consumers to find better ways to package their products without the use of plastics.
Some plastics can be recycled however, so do check the type of plastic to see. You could also repurpose many types of plastics, such as drinking bottles that can be used as handy growers for seeds and plants.
Polystyrene is often found in packages and parcels. It is useful for protecting delicate and breakable items and from foods to medicines it is a great way of protecting goods whilst they are in transit, which is why it is such a common packaging material. Many people think that it is not possible to recycle polystyrene, but in fact there are places that can recycle it for you such as this polystyrene recycling company https://www.printwaste.co.uk/business-recycling-solutions/specific-product-recycling/polystyrene-recycling/
In the recycling process, the air is sucked out of the polystyrene, which shrinks it down and makes it easier to transport – it can then be moved on in this smaller and denser form, and go on to have air added and be re-used once again.
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