Why Packaging is a Major Contributor to Pollution

Ad Blocker Detected

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

For the last several years, one of the hot topics has been pollution and trying to minimize the amount of pollution that gets into the environment. However, while a lot of people feel invigorated to do something about it, not everyone actually knows what the biggest contributors to pollution are.

Yes, there are neglectful corporations improperly disposing of waste, especially when it comes to the process of making packaging, not utilizing a Waste management service in Forney, TX, or the many others at their disposal. Further, certain industries are yet to adopt emissions-reducing technology in meaningful ways and our dependence on fossil fuels is a big contributor, and yet, the impact packaging has on the environment seems to always stand out.

Nearly everything on the consumer market is packaged nowadays. Not only that but many products are packaged far more than they need to be with plastic and Styrofoam that isn’t biodegradable. When you look at just how much plastic packaging is used on a daily basis, it really becomes apparent why it’s now one of the biggest culprits of global pollution.

Let’s go over the details of why it got to this point and what can be done about it.

1: Over-Packaging

Is it really necessary to place fresh meat products on Styrofoam trays, wrap it all up in a ton of plastic, and then toss that in a plastic bag, to boot? Not really. For the majority of the US’s history, those products were simply wrapped in thick, brown paper and handed off to the customer.

For another example, think about the last time you ordered something in the mail. While eco-friendly paper bags are available for efficient mailing of most items, most companies will use two or three layers of plastic packaging AND box the product.

This all compounds the problem of littering because, when someone does litter or inappropriately dispose of the packaging, there’s a lot more being tossed into the environment.

2: Inappropriate Disposal

This one is where consumers come in the most. Sure, it’s easier to open your latest Amazon package, chuck all the packaging in the trash bin, and call it a day, or maybe you’re out hiking and can’t find a recycling bin, so you just chuck a disposable water bottle in the woods.

While we don’t create the plastic, and we’re not nearly the entirety of the problem, allowing plastic packaging to get chucked randomly into the environment is our fault. That is why it is everyone’s duty to understand how to properly dispose of plastic and other harmful products in residential and commercial spaces. For that, Junk Removal and recycling services could be hired to ensure we play a small part in preventing environmental damage.

Recycling has its own problems we’ll talk about soon, but if everyone at least attempts to get some of the reusable resources used for packaging into recycling centers, a big part of the problem would be alleviated.

3: Inefficient Recycling Methods

This is probably going to hurt if you spend hours of your week sorting trash and getting it into appropriate recycling bins, but most of it still ends up in a landfill. That’s right, a lot of your recycling efforts are wasted.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to recycle. Just make sure you’re recycling things that will actually be reused, try to personally reuse as many things as you practically can, and avoid plastic packaging as much as you can.

Switch to More Efficient Packaging

Plastic is dominant in the packaging world, now. However, it doesn’t have to be. Eco-friendly packaging options exist, and by supporting companies that use them, you can vote with your wallet for real change, and possibly, you might help eliminate one of the biggest contributors to pollution.