Chocolate Packaging
“It is hard to address the question of packaging that is sustainable when there is no clear cut defi nition of sustainability”
These factors, along with a general lack of awareness
about the consequences of not recycling, have hampered efforts. Therefore, while plastic can be recycled, global rates remain very low. Only 9% of all plastic ever created has been recycled, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In the UK, around 45% of plastic is recycled, leaving the other 55% to end up incinerated or in landfi lls and in the ocean With aid from pioneering technologies, such as plastics
made from only one type of material and new methods of recycling such as chemical recycling, it’s hoped that recycling rates and proper handling of plastic waste will only increase in the future. Focusing on better recycling will also help to reduce
energy consumption in the long run. Recycled plastic takes between 65% to 88% less energy to produce per ton of plastic than when it is made from raw materials. Plastics cannot easily be replaced with more sustainable
options: There’s an appropriate packaging type for every product. While some things can be substituted or even go without packaging, sometimes plastic is the most appropriate. When it comes to food, plastic can help keep it fresher
for longer, especially for items that travel a long way before reaching shops. This has the effect of helping to reduce food waste, which is also a major source of carbon emissions. Other types of plastic can also make for a much easier
and practical consumer experience, such as hot fi ll PET packaging which is ideal for use with microwaves at home. Plastic is also more suitable for medical applications
than other materials. A lot of equipment and implements, such as syringes, are often made from plastic, which helps to keep everything sterile and reduces the risk of cross- contamination. According to the British Plastics Federation, if plastics were substituted for alternative materials,
the energy
consumption of making those alternative products would rise by 57%. There are ways to make plastic more sustainable: When
it comes to plastic and sustainability, the debate is much more complex than it might seem at fi rst. There are a lot of steps in the lifecycles of various materials, and some create more waste and pollution than others. Innovations are always occurring to lessen the impact of
plastics. While synthetic plastic made from fossil fuels is still the most common, bio-based plastics (or bioplastics)
KennedysConfection.com Kennedy’s Confection October 2022 37
are also becoming more prevalent. These are made from biological materials such as vegetable oils, potatoes, and sugar cane to name a few, and they require much less in the way of fossil fuels to make. Nevertheless, any material or resource we take from
nature should be used as many times as possible, so innovations in methods of reusing and recycling are also necessary. Chemical recycling could provide an answer to this and help to infi nitely extend the lifecycle of plastics. Efforts are also being made to repurpose plastic more cleverly, using it to make building materials, including bricks for houses. It seems plastic still has an important role to play in
our future. Smarter handling and treatment of plastic is a much-needed step forward. For example, the total lifecycle carbon footprint could be used to better identify which packaging substrate is most appropriate for which product. This, along with continued innovation, will help towards building a more sustainable future for plastic packaging.
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