Effects of packaging on the environment

Research has it that by the year 2022, the demand for packing will grow simultaneously to about 2. It is also estimated that there will be a global rise in packaging sales which will shoot to about 4% at an annual rate by the year 2018. Asia alone accounts for about 36% while North America has 23% and Western Europe has about 22% respectively (Loose et al. The global rise in demand for packaging materials will increase negative impacts on the environment. The biggest challenge with packaging is ensuring that industries sustainably manufacture products. When they packaging materials lose their function they become useless and are dumped as solid waste, and when they are not dumbed appropriately, they tend to pollute the environment in general. The packaging effects on the environment are wide ranging from energy, air pollution and water pollution among others.

The production of packaging right from the primary material to end product requires energy. The energy produced in the process of creating packaging often leads to greenhouse effects which lead to the emission of dangerous pollutants that affects the water bodies. Packaging related waste emissions are as a result of energy usage as well as transportation and even manufacturing processes. An increase in packaging materials that is finding its way into the landfill is causing a lot of problems to underground water since landfills in coagulating and leaking wastes into the underground water. Increase in packaging wasters has also contributed to a significant amount of wastes that are burned by municipal in the incineration chamber. This burning of wastes through incineration also possess environmental effects.

In the process of incineration, combustible elements produce heat and water vapor as well as carbon dioxide which possess harmful effects on the environment. Environmental activist postulates that burning of incineration also emits harmful gases into the environment and thus contributing to pollution as well as global warming. For instance, there are places where plastics packages are not allowed such states have a culture that promotes the use of environmental packages materials like the use of baskets. The demand for packaging is, in fact, global and not limited only to industrialized nations. However, in most parts of developing countries, people still apply the use of newspapers, organic materials, and husks. On the other hand, people in modern urban areas apply the use of shopping bags, glass and plastics bags as well as other modern innovated packaging means.

Solution to packaging wastes It is certain that where there is a packaged product, there is also a packaging waste (Jindal, 2010). Manufacturing companies ought not to compete in the production of packaging waste since excessive production of packaging waste will lead to the creation of massive litters or solid wastes on the environment. Therefore, the best way for manufacturing is to regulate the production of waste since it will help to reduce the volume of the packaging wastes released on the environment. Reuse Another important means of dealing with packaging waste product is reuse. Reusing implies that a material that has been used again is put into another use (Fernandez-Romero, 2018). The purpose of the already used packaging material is also an essential way of reducing people from discarding materials which can be used again.

The problem with the massive production of packaging materials is that it posts negative impacts on the environment. Packaging, as well as packaging wastes, may not impact human beings. However, they have a negative consequence to the environment and ones the environment is affected all life forms on the planet will be negatively affected. The problem of packaging is that it often leads to unwanted litters on the environment, landfills and other effects. The worst part of packaging materials is the adverse effect on natural resources as well as air and water pollution that happens in the manufacturing processes. , & Grebitus, C. Quantifying effects of convenience and product packaging on consumer preferences and market share of seafood products: The case of oysters.