What does packaging really do?

Packaging has many tasks. It is important to keep the food fresh for a long time and divide it. The intact package also guarantees that the product inside is also intact. Packaging transports a lot of information for consumers and also for logistics via barcodes. And of particular importance to manufacturers is that the packaging promotes the product.

Despite all these features, does it really always have to be so many packages? 

Certainly questionable, for example, in so-called double wrapping, that is, first packed in plastic and then back in paper bags. Most supermarket products have not yet been designed in such a way that someone wonders how they can store their packages. 

And advertising is a huge part of the package. You can save a lot if you don’t focus too much on this and limit it to core features. 

Plus, there were no real questions about disposable packaging waste until a few years ago. The situation has also changed as it becomes increasingly clear that the recycling of disposable packages is not functioning properly. 

Turn all screws

What can we do to make the package more sustainable? 

There are several options. The first is to avoid it as much as possible. For me, this means we use less packaging material or no packaging at all. Using reusable packages is another option. In addition, you can definitely improve the plastic, for example, by using a more uniform material. Then it can be better recycled. All screws need to be turned. 

Couldn’t you replace the plastic with another type of package? 

No, simply replacing everything is not the solution. It also uses raw materials that must be disposed of later. In addition, there are many more aspects that affect product life cycle assessment. For example, replacing plastic with glass can significantly increase the weight of the product in transit and increase CO2 emissions. For example, for regional products, glass is more valuable than glass, which has long transportation routes. 

Garbage is also produced in paper production.

Switching to paper alone does not solve all packaging problems. 

How about paper and cardboard packaging? 

Paper and corrugated boards also require CO2 and water during manufacturing and must be disposed of later. 

I often think that paper is better because it associates plastic with cheap, colourful, and artificial ones. Also, plastic is a natural waste, not paper. It’s faster. However, I can’t find any garbage generated by papermaking. 

What can we do to take sustainable action as a consumer with respect to packaging? 

You can unpack and buy a lot. It’s often said that this is open only to high-income earners, but this may be the case for unpackaged stores. However, in the meantime, some supermarkets can be purchased without packagings, such as fruits and vegetables. This is the first step. 

In the meantime, handing a fresh storage box of sausages and cheese at the supermarket counter works well. Or you can see which markets are in your area. This also partially solves the problem of long transportation routes and reduces the CO2 emissions of the product. Today, many things are happening in the cosmetics sector, such as bar soap instead of liquid soap and hair soap instead of shampoo. 

And it’s useful for asking questions about a particular product in a supermarket or saying that you want to shop in a small package. You can make a lot of criticisms about supermarkets, but they also depend on what your customers want. That’s why we introduced reusable nets for fruits and vegetables, for example. 

When seen by the general public  

Does that mean that we consumers need to use our electricity more often? 

We cannot take all responsibility for you. But I think so, and the discussion of plastic waste has shown that something happens when the public sees it. 

Is it worth talking to children about packaging and sustainable consumption? 

Definitely! I believe that if more and more children grow up knowing that something has to change, it will happen in the long run. And, for example, it’s often children, especially children, who sit at the table at home and say, “We have to do something different.”