March 08 , Issue 19
Date: 01/03/08

 

Say No to Over-Packaging

By Sabine
                                          

"It's now essential that we in the west adopt a lifestyle that strikes the right balance between using and protecting the environment," says WWF's Chief Executive, Robert Napier. "If we don't, the predictions are dire - which is why WWF is campaigning for everyone to tread lightly on the planet and develop a sustainable way of life."

Mentalities are changing and the number of environmentally-conscious consumers is steadily rising.  People are becoming increasingly aware that the way they live their everyday lives directly impacts the planet and that the need to reduce their ecological footprint is now pressing.  For decades, we have been used to living in a careless and wasteful manner, throwing away what no longer serves us without any thought for the environment.  These days are gone. 

The issue of packaging waste is now high profile, receiving a lot of media attention and moving up on the political agenda.  Shoppers are irritated at the mountain of excessive packaging they are forced to bring home each time they go shopping. 

Appropriate packaging is a fundamental pre-requisite to health and safety.  Insufficient packaging results in breakage, spoilage and food contamination, and damaged products which are generally shunned by the consumer find their way into overflowing landfills.   Packaging enables companies to inform customers about their products and helps with brand recognition.  What is unacceptable in our day and age is pointless waste which adds to our landfill problems.  Now that it is established that the Earth’s resources are finite and that we are seriously and perhaps irreversibly upsetting its ecological balance, we need to change our attitude towards waste due to poor, thoughtless, bulky, inappropriate and unsustainable packaging design and materials. 

The term “over-packaging” is used to describe two types of excesses – one of degree (packaging exceeding the size and purpose of its contents) and a quantitative one (too many layers and unnecessary “fancy” packaging).   Many are now voicing their strong objections to inexplicably oversized container boxes which fool consumers about actual product sizes.  How can anyone justify so much cardboard and plastic packaging around Easter eggs?  Why are pizza cardboard boxes so big?  Why are cereal boxes only half full? Why are toothpaste tubes presented in cardboard boxes? Why are some biscuit packets wrapped in so many layers? Why are drinks in plastic or glass bottles wrapped in non-recyclable printed plastic sleeves?  Why are bananas sold in plastic bags, etc.? 

Over-packaging is a waste of raw materials and as most packaging is made of plastic derivatives, it is very difficult to recycle and may never break down completely even after many years in the ground.  Less packaging means less struggle to carry bulky shopping home and less time spent flattening cardboard boxes and squashing plastic bottles/aluminium cans for recycling.  Who in their right mind wants to pay not only once but twice (!) for what they do not need and is a cause for increasing frustration and resentment, – first at the counter for over-packaged goods and secondly in increased Council Tax for the disposal of all this waste?

Companies are taking action to reduce the amount of packaging used in products - the walls of yogurt pots, margarine tubs, drinks cartons and plastic fizzy drink bottles to name but a few are not as thick as they used to be, whilst still providing the same protection as before.  If production costs are reduced, shouldn’t the customers also pay less at the till? 

The relationship between packaging changes and sales is closely monitored by big companies.  This is why consumers need to make a point of always buying the most environment-friendly packaging when choosing between similar products.  Every purchase we make is a vote, so let’s make it a green one.

"Maybe that $14.95 widget wasn't so cheap, after all.
Every purchase is political.
Every purchase affects the environment.
Every purchase is your conscience.
Every purchase is a vote.
Every purchase is a prayer.
Every purchase matters."
- Richard Baynton, “The True Cost Of Things” 
(AlternativesMagazine.com )

   Green Tips for Reducing the Amount of Packaging:

  1. Boycott over-packaged products (one layer should be enough!)
  2. Buy in bulk and avoid individual portions.  For instance do not use individual dishwasher or washing machine tablets and opt for detergents in powder form.
  3. Leave excessive packaging on the counter after paying for the goods.  Let the retailers be responsible for its disposal.  They will soon get the message that you do not want it!
  4. Do not buy products presented in non-recyclable packaging such as black polystyrene trays. Look instead for packaging bearing the recycling/compostable logo.
  5. Bag your own products as much as possible (although this option is not available for organic produce which is never sold loose).
  6. Don’t accept bags you don’t need.
  7. Bring your own bags.  More and more shoppers now use canvas bags as an alternative to the ubiquitous plastic bags.  Play the green card and go for “bags for life”.
  8. Buy from the deli, bakery or fish counters to cut down on excessive packaging.
  9. Shop preferably at farmers’ markets, farm shops and food co-operatives where you will be guaranteed less food miles and less packaging.
  10. Buy milk in glass bottles from your milkman.
  11. Buy refills for products used on a regular basis.
  12. Use concentrated products correctly diluted to save on packaging waste, transport and cost.
  13. Avoid the convenience of disposable goods such as paper plates, cups and napkins, plastic cutlery, pens, nappies and opt for reusable alternatives.
  14. Complain in writing about excessive packaging.  Regulations are already in force to reduce unnecessary packaging and some offending food retailers and manufacturers have already been prosecuted for failing to comply.  If you think you have too much packaging, the Trading Standard Office needs to be informed about it. 

“Consumers have more power than they realise, says Chris Wille of the Rainforest Alliance, a conservation group. “They are at one end of the supply chain, farmers are at the other, and consumers really do have the power to send a message back all the way through that complicated supply chain,” he explains. “If the message is frequent, loud and consistent enough, then they can actually change practices, and we see that happening on the ground.”

Thank you for reading,
Sabine