Packaging & Sustainability

Question 1

What do companies and individuals do that have a negative impact on sustainability?

Answer 1

Companies and individuals often use a lot of packaging for food and goods, most of which ends up in landfill sites, where it remains for many years. We are running out of space.

Question 2

How can we reduce the amount of packaging that goes to landfill?

Answer 2

Household and community waste-recycling schemes

Using packaging made from biodegradeable materials instead of oil-based plastics

Question 3

What do uses of biodegradable packaging include?

Answer 3

Using cardboard instead of polystyrene as packaging in parcels (cardboard can be recycled and breaks down relatively quickly)
Making carrier bags from cellulose extracted from plants such as potatoes. This makes the bags biodegradable, reduces oil usage and improves sustainability.

Question 4

Instead of just using alternative materials is there another option?

Answer 4

The best option is to reduce the amount of packaging altogether

Question 5

Why would this be another option?

Answer 5

Any material that’s used requires energy and cost savings
Transport costs can be reduced because less packaging means goods weigh less and takes up less room (but also less pollution with less transport).

Question 6

Do biodegradable materials still take time to break down in a landfill site?

Answer 6

Anything that’s discarded in a landfill site takes time to break down, even if it’s made of a biodegradable material

Question 7

What is the reason behind this?

Answer 7

There isn’t enough oxygen available for the decomposer organisms to function efficiently in the tightly-packed site.