The choice of a material for your packaging is all but benign. Beyond mere practical, economic and aesthetic consideration, it carries the additional weight of supporting, whether directly or indirectly, a number of ecological and ethical practices.
Where are raw materials sourced?
Cardboard actually gives you the opportunity to know the origin of the raw materials used in the product you choose. Dakri Cartons only uses FSC certified Kraft paper.
This independent label controls the origins of raw materials, which only come from forests that are managed sustainably to preserve the planet’s natural resources as much as possible.
Plastic’s main weakness is its rather opaque supply chain. This could potentially prevent one from making a fully conscious choice when considering sustainable development. Petroleum is, first of all, a fossil substance which is, by definition, non-renewable. However, sustainability concerns do not stop there. One may wonder: what kind of ecological, fair trade and human rights principles might this choice support, given how hard it is to know the exact origins of the raw material itself?
What about the recycling process?
Cardboard: It is, first of all, important to know that all types of cardboard can be fully recycled, if waste is correctly sorted. For this reason, in 2019, 72% of all cardboards consumed in Europe were recycled. The recycling steps themselves are very simple. Much like paper, the cardboard is turned into a paste. It is then washed to rinse off inks (all non-toxic for Dakri Cartons Cardboards), and, finally, reconditioned in rolls until it can be reused… Any cardboard can be recycled up to 7 times, depending on the condition of the fibres.
Plastic: Alone generates 300 million tons of waste globally every year. 14% of this waste is actually sorted and gathered, only 9% of which will ultimately be recycled. This is hardly surprising, as only certain types of plastic can actually be recycled. And, when it can actually be recycled, it often takes the form of a non-recyclable product, which acts as a very short stay of execution before it ultimately ends up in a landfill. The recycling process in itself consumes a considerable amount of energy and inevitably releases greenhouse gases. Indeed, the steps involve sorting the objects, crushing, washing, drying, and sorting them again before melting them into pellets, purifying them, and finally melting them anew to create the recycled product.
Did you know?
When calculating the carbon footprint, the total sum of greenhouse gas emissions through each step of a product’s life cycle must be taken into account, which includes:
- Its fabrication
- Transport
- Use
- Discarding or recycling
Coming back to the cardboard v/s plastic battle, plastic’s carbon footprint accounts for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as compared to only 1% for cardboard.
Cardboard therefore clearly stands out as the most sustainable option, as it comes to a lesser cost for the planet in many respects.
Go for cardboard now, and contact us:
Call us now on 233 5880 for more information.
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