Shocking Data on Environmental Impact of Packaging Methods

Most products today contain a large proportion of packaging materials upon purchase. There are various reasons for it:

• Goods have to be shipped, and sometimes even with several means of transport until reaching the buyer. Therefore, they need a proper packaging for transport protection. For storage in intermediate storage facilities as well as in the shops warehouses, the same applies.
• Packaging protects the goods from direct impact of environmental factors, such as rain, wind, temperature change, shock due to transport movements, etc.
• Hygienic reasons require in some cases that direct touching of the goods must be prevented (especially food).
• Reasons for identification are secondary, but also apply. Everything must be externally identifiable when put in the store without having to open packaging through labels or tags.

However, if you analyse a certain packaging, you might be shocked by the proportions, and the question is, if this could be averted. The analysis of an I-Pod directly shipped by courier to the destination address revealed the following surprising data:

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr

• Volume: The ratio between the packaging volume and the I-Pod volume was 114:1.
• Weight: The ratio between the weight of the packaging and the weight of the I-Pod was 10:1.

It has to be considered that all this packaging material also has to be manufactured. In this case, the following materials were included:

• Carton
• Paper
• Polystyrene
• PVC

Both, the manufacture of plastics as well as of paper are very energy-intensive processes. In the case of plastics, the chemical process does not only use large amounts of power in the manufacturing process, but also causes pollution by emission of carbon dioxide and other hazardous compounds. Depending on the materials used harmful fumes such as vinyl chloride vapours might affect the workers and be emitted through the exhaust fumes. On the website “Time for change” you’ll find, amongst others, that the production of 5 plastic bags alone produces 1 kg of CO2.

Image via Wikipedia

While the same in terms of power consumption applies to the paper and carton production, this type of packaging has other implications and causes more concerns about the pollution of the waters. Paper and carton manufacture uses large quantities of water and puts them back into nature at the end of the process. There are limitations and laws in force as to what and how much pollutants may be contained in the waste water from these processes, but there is still a considerable amount of diluted pulp in the water output, which puts additional stress on the environment and can harm, in the long term, primarily small aquatic forms of life and plants in the shore regions of rivers and streams.

Although responsibility for changing these effects and implementing rather green alternatives primarily has to be born by industry, the consumer also has an influence and could be more selective when buying products and should more often think about the effects of irresponsible packaging methods.