The perception of packaging – has much changed in 20 years?

It’s rare to come across news about packaging that doesn’t mention the environment in some way or another. Whether it’s lightweighting, composting, using recycled material – the industry has worked hard to innovate with the environmental impact in mind. Still, despite all the innovation in sustainable packaging, the industry still battles the perception that materials used for packaging are wasteful and harmful to the environment.

And a new The ULS (Use Less Stuff) report believes when it comes to perception, not much has changed in the past 20 years.

On January 21, 1995, the  New York Times publish an Op-Ed piece ULS Editor Bob Lilienfeld wrote with Dr. William L. (Bill) Rathje. Entitled Six Enviro-Myths, it discussed the need to base environmental decisions and policy on facts, not faith. The article was picked up by many domestic and international newspapers and magazines, and led to the publication by Random House of their book, Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are.

“Not much has changed in 20 years,” Lilenfeld wrote. “We still seem to have the same perspectives we’ve always had regarding packaging and the environment. However, I am happy to report that there are new studies available that should change our misconceptions and perspectives about packaging, and also help us to make better, more sustainable decisions regarding the ways in which we consume products and services.”

The current issue of the ULS report focuses on three of the public’s largest packaging concerns: Waste heading to landfills, plastics and the environment, and the belief that we’ve done about all we can do to increase the recovery rate of used packaging.

“We finally have good research from a variety of respected resources that can help us better understand the true impacts of packaging and how to continue using less and recovering more of it,” Lilenfeld said. “Many of our conclusions are going to surprise you. Some of them surprised us, as well.”

He went on to discuss three of the most pervasive myths and mantras related to packaging and the environment, and new data that can help revise our thinking and actions. Here’s a sample of all three:

Myth #1: Packaging waste continues to grow and clog our landfills

“What’s interesting is that the amount of waste recovered has grown dramatically, by almost 28%, meaning that the amount we throw away only grew by 1.4% annually. From a landfill usage standpoint, this is very good news,” Lilienfeld wrote.

Now, let’s look at packaging. The amount of packaging waste that was generated only grew by 2.9%, significantly less than population or total solid waste growth. Given that growth in gross national product during this period was 21.6% , faster than population or household growth, this slower packaging growth must be largely related to increased focus on source reduction (i.e., using less stuff).

Myth #2: Plastic packaging negatively impacts environmental sustainability

To debunk this myth, Lilienfeld turned to a recent report from Franklin Associates, and commissioned by the American Chemistry Council, which claimed that the use of plastic products rather than competitive substitutes enables significant energy and greenhouse gas savings.

Myth #3: Significant gains in packaging recovery may not be possible

Two new studies by AMERIPEN, the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, do a great job of busting this myth, Lilienfeld wrote.

Both studies reached the same conclusion: From a best practices perspective, the combination of Pay As You Throw (PAYT) unit-based trash pricing mechanisms, mandatory recycling, and disposal bans have the potential to drive consumer behavior towards recycling and improve the recovery rates of used packaging. The research determined that only about 40% of American municipalities use any or all of these practices, and that a 15% increase in participation could boost packaging recovery levels by up to 20%. 

The full report is worth a read. Be sure to check it out. (http://www.use-less-stuff.com/Archive/ULS-Report-V12N1.pdf)

Source: http://goo.gl/cAxC8j