A second Industrial Revolution is underway—utilizing the same creativity, ingenuity and inventiveness as the first. The only difference is that now we know we can manufacture products, and packaging, and we can do it better than we did before.
In a nutshell, the important points about environmentally friendly packaging: reduce, reuse, recycle, remove, renew.
Reducing excess packaging is a start. Fewer and lighter materials are the goal. Reusing packaging is the next most sustainable step. Or making packaging an integral part of the product. Using recycled materials and post consumer waste is another valid idea. Finally, using materials sourced from renewable material sources gives us choices like bioplastics made from corn, soy and even sugar cane waste, that biodegrade into the earth in a natural cycle.
For great ideas, check out The Sustainable Packaging Coalition, www.sustainablepackaging.org.
