Alternatives to single use plastic packaging exist, so why aren’t most companies using them? The simple answer is money. Companies like to package things in such a way that it makes the consumer buy more than they might actually need. Assuming the Government and these companies refuse to stop using packaging in this way, why can’t they use alternative materials? Are there any single use plastic alternatives that would be suitable?
Why companies use single use plastic packaging
One of the common arguments companies say they use single use plastic, especially with regard to food, is that it reduces food waste. I’d love to know how a 4 pack of tinned tuna with single use plastic wrapped around it reduces food waste… But no-one would be able to answer that because it’s about profits. Sell a 4 pack slightly cheaper than buying 4 tins individually and people will buy the supposed ‘bargain’. This type of marketing should just be stopped, sell customers 4 individual tins for the same price as you sell 4 plastic wrapped tins and I believe people will still buy the ‘bargain’ option instead of buying fewer tins.
But it’s hard to convince any company to stop doing what they see has been working to increase their profits. We have a few options. Ban single use packaging completely, or at the very least ban single use plastic packaging (which is rarely recyclable). At least alternative packaging materials are more likely to be biodegradable or recyclable.
Make sure you read 25 Ways To Use Less Plastic
What are the alternatives, and when to use them
Tinned Products
- Cardboard sleeve
- Nothing!
Using the tinned tuna example again, Aldi have recently announced that their 4 packs of tinned tuna will soon be packaged in a cardboard sleeve rather than plastic. This seems like a drop in the ocean (pardon the pun), and that it won’t make much of a difference, but…
“The retailer will sell four packs of Tuna Chunks in Brine with a cardboard sleeve, instead of plastic, from mid-September in more than 270 stores.
If successful, the four-month trial will be rolled out nationally to more than 830 UK stores, which will save more than 11 tonnes of plastic every year.”
That’s 11 tonnes of plastic not going to landfill every year, just for tinned tuna in brine. Just imagine the amount of plastic not going to landfill if this was done for tinned tomatoes, baked beans, cat and dog food etc in every single supermarket in the UK. The result would be a massive reduction in the amount of plastic we send to landfill. And a huge saving to the taxpayer who bears the brunt of the cost of disposing rubbish.
Now imagine that companies didn’t use any additional packaging at all and how much better that would be for the environment!
Alternatives for Flowers
- Cellophane
- Paper
- Nothing!
Until recently I thought cellophane was plastic. But that’s only partly true. The definition of cellophane, according to https://www.thefreedictionary.com is “A thin, flexible, transparent cellulose material made from wood pulp and used as a moistureproof wrapping.” Which is great, it’s not plastic, but looks like it. Cellophane is often used for bunches of flowers, and to wrap soaps etc. Unfortunately that’s not the whole picture. The free dictionary’s second definition of cellophane is “Plastic wrap.”
Companies can, and should, use cellulose cellophane as much as possible because it’s biodegradable and compostable. If a company says they use cellophane wrapping, just ask them whether it’s cellulose or plastic. If a company doesn’t answer you, which happens a lot in my experience, you can probably assume it’s plastic based.
Toilet & Kitchen Rolls
- Recycled Paper
- Nothing
For things like toilet paper and kitchen roll, I see no valid reason why recycled paper can’t be used instead of plastic packaging. The only thing stopping them is, of course, money.
Using no packaging at all for toilet and kitchen rolls is an option. It risks the toilet and kitchen rolls getting wet, but it’s an option which companies like Greencane now offer…
Greetings Cards
- Nothing!
Why do greeting cards have to come in individual plastic sleeves? They don’t at all. Just get rid of them!
Pasta, Rice, Nuts, Oats, Muesli etc
- Reusable cloth bags
- Paper
Dried foods like rice, pasta and nuts etc can all be bought with no packaging at all. Find a local whole food shop which allows you to serve yourself only as much of something as you want. A lot of these shops will provide paper bags for you to fill, or sell you cloth bags. Get yourself suitable containers, even if they’re reusable plastic containers that’s better than single use packaging found in supermarkets, and just remember to take them to the shop with you.
In some supermarkets you can find some brands that use paper or cardboard packaging for some of the above items. However a lot of them will have a plastic lining, so just look out for that, as it might not be as recyclable as you first thought.
Fruit and Vegetables
- Nothing
- Cardboard
- Natural Fibres
The thing I hate the most is how much single use plastic is used for fruit and vegetables. It’s such a depressing sight every time you walk into a supermarket. If you have a local farmers market or greengrocer (I don’t) then you should use them as they very rarely cover all the fresh produce in plastic. It wasn’t that long ago that it was possible to buy most of your fruit and veggies without any plastic, but supermarkets now like to cover almost everything in plastic and only provide a few options to buy fresh produce loose.
For example in my local Sainsbury’s the only type of potato I can buy loose is a baked potato. Only flavourless tomatoes are available loose. I can’t buy any type of lettuce with no plastic. It’s unbelievably frustrating and severely limits my diet (on the plus side it does mean I have to get creative with my food).
The most obvious alternative is no packaging whatsoever for the majority of the fruit and vegetables for sale. However, I do concede that selling strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc with no kind of packaging is more difficult. But, it is possible to find an alternative to single use plastic containers with a plastic wrapping. Sustainable Packaging Industries (SPI) offer “packaging made from molded pulp, a composite of a variety of fibrous materials, such as recycled paper, cardboard, or other natural fibers (sugarcane, bamboo, wheat straw). Not only can it be made from recycled materials, the packaging can also be easily recycled. Not only that, but the fibers in pulp packaging are biodegradable, unlike plastic and Styrofoam packaging.” – source
Parcels
When sending a parcel you don’t have to use bubble wrap or styrofoam packing peanuts. Do what Lush do and use cornstarch packing peanuts which dissolve in water!
For almost all single use plastic there’s a plastic free alternative which is recyclable, biodegradable or compostable. It’s time we used them!
