We hear a lot about how plastic packaging is bad for the environment. But is this really true? We have all read the shocking statistics and at first glance the evidence is truly alarming. Almost all types of plastic can be recycled, but in fact only 31% of plastic waste is actually recycled. 10% ends up in the oceans, while the rest ends up in landfills. The micro-particles, you know, the granular stuff from your toothpaste or your face scrub, end up in the stomachs of marine animals and end up back on our plates. Not very tasty, is it?
So is plastic really the most fearsome when it comes to packaging? The answer is yes and no. To understand the background, let's talk a little about the alternatives.
Glass
Although the glass is recyclable, which is great, it is re-melted at 1300-1500 degrees C and requires a lot of energy to process. Because glass is heavy and fragile (compared to plastic), it can't be packed as tightly either, so it requires a lot more fuel to transport. The increased environmental pollution caused by the greater transport requirements for glass, which is considered environmentally friendly, clearly clouds the picture.
Aluminium
Just like glass, aluminium is fully recyclable, but there is a twist here too, as the production and recycling of aluminium also leaves a huge ecological footprint. There are many factors that contribute to this: although the raw material is abundant in the earth's crust, its extraction and processing requires a lot of energy and produces huge carbon emissions. The production process produces large quantities of toxic red mud, which is a huge threat to the environment. We all vividly remember the red sludge disaster of 2010, when more than 1 million cubic metres of red sludge flooded 3 villages in the Devecser sub-region, causing incalculable damage.
If you choose to buy aluminium products, don't forget to recycle them.
So what is the conclusion? Would plastic be a better choice? Not necessarily. There are 3 types of plastic used for packaging and it is important to know the difference between them. Here are the main points in a nutshell:
Original plastic
Newly produced plastic that has not been used for anything before. Original plastic is resource-intensive to produce, and although it is fully recyclable, less than half of it is recycled. Almost no country in Europe is able to recycle all of its own plastic waste, so the remaining plastic is shipped to other countries at great expense.
PLA plastic
PLA for short, polylactic acid for long, or biodegradable plastic, is made from renewable sources such as corn starch or sugar cane. These plastics are degradable, but only under special conditions. Unfortunately, you can be sure that this won't happen in your garden composter. And the plant material for these types of plastics also comes from valuable agricultural land, even land that is suitable for food production.
PCR i.e. recycled plastic
You may have heard of recycled plastic, which is made by recycling used PET bottles and other plastics. This type of plastic is the most economical and environmentally friendly, which is why CYCLE bottles are made from rPET/PCR plastic. We use 100% recycled plastic in the production of our bottles, which means that if every Hungarian household switched to CYCLE products, several tonnes less plastic would end up in landfills every year.
