What is packaging?
Packaging is the name given to the containers in which products are bought, sold and transported. Examples include glass and plastic bottles, aluminium drink cans, cardboard boxes, paper bags, cellophane wrapping, steel tins, wooden pallets and polystyrene foam around new electrical goods.
How does packaging waste affect the environment?
Much of our household rubbish, including packaging waste, currently goes to landfill. Many of the packaging items we throw out take a long time to degrade in a landfill or don't degrade at all – glass and many plastics can take hundreds of years to break down. Waste that does degrade to the release of methene, a gas that contributes to climate change.
Why do manufacturers use layers of packaging?
Manufacturers often choose a number of layers of packaging in different materials to reduce the total packaging required, with each layer serving a different need. For example, a wine box has a cardboard outer box for rigidity, and an inner bag made from layers of polyethylene and an aluminium-coated plastic to provide a barrier against damage from air (INCPEN).
Where can I recycle my packaging?
You can recycle some packaging materials within your kerbside recycling collection (where available) or at your local recycling centre or point. To find out what you can recycle and where, visit Sort It.
How can packaging reduce waste?
Well designed packaging ensures products reach the consumer in the same condition it left the factory and prevents products being damaged and resources being wasted. In countries with less well developed packaging and distribution systems, as much as 50% of food is wasted and does not reach the consumer. In Scotland, thanks to packaging and the distribution system, only 2-3% of food is wasted. It’s important that the right amount of packaging is used, not too much nor too little.
