We hear a lot about how harmful plastic packaging is to our environment. But is it really true? We've all read the shocking statistics, and at first glance, the evidence is truly alarming. Almost all types of plastic can be recycled, but we only actually recycle 31% of our plastic waste. 10% ends up in the oceans, while the rest ends up in landfills. Microbeads, you know, the granular stuff from your toothpaste or facial scrub, end up in the stomachs of marine animals, before eventually ending up on our plates. Not very appetizing, right?
So is plastic really the worst 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 glass is recyclable, which is great, it requires remelting at 1300-1500 degrees C and requires a lot of energy to process. Since glass is heavy and fragile (compared to plastic), it cannot be packed as tightly, so it requires much more fuel to transport. The increased environmental pollution due to the greater transportation requirements of glass, which is considered environmentally friendly, clearly casts a shadow over the picture.
Aluminum
Just like glass, aluminum is fully recyclable, but there is a little twist here, as the production and recycling of aluminum also leaves a huge ecological footprint. Many things contribute to this: although the raw material is abundant in the earth's crust, its extraction and processing requires a lot of energy and involves huge carbon dioxide emissions. During production, large amounts of toxic red mud are formed, which poses a huge threat to the environment. We all vividly remember the red mud disaster of 2010, when more than 1 million cubic meters of red mud flooded 3 villages in the Devecseri microregion, causing incalculable damage.
If you decide to buy products made of aluminum, don't forget to recycle them.
What is the conclusion, really? Would plastic be a better choice? Not necessarily. Plastics used for packaging can be divided into 3 groups and it is important to know the difference between them. Here is the gist in a nutshell:
Original plastic
Newly produced plastic that has never been used for anything before. The production of original plastic requires a lot of resources, and although it is fully recyclable, less than half of it is returned to the cycle. Almost no country in Europe is able to fully recycle its own plastic waste, so the remaining plastic is transported to other countries at high cost.
PLA plastic
PLA for short, polylactic acid for long, or biodegradable plastic, is made from renewable resources, such as cornstarch or sugar cane. These plastics decompose, but only under special conditions. Unfortunately, you can be sure that this will not happen in your garden composter. The plant raw material for these types of plastics also comes from valuable agricultural areas, even suitable for food production.
PCR or 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 to manufacture our bottles, which means that if every Hungarian household switched to CYCLE products, several tons less plastic would end up in landfills every year.
