Zero Waste Packaging vs. Traditional Packaging

ZERO WASTE PACKAGING VS TRADITIONAL PACKAGING ZERO WASTE PACKAGING TRADITIONAL PACKAGING 1.4 BILLION POUNDS Zero waste is where products are conceived, produced, packaged, distributed and retired with their long-term environmental impacts in mind In the U.S., trash amounts to 1.4 billion pounds per day. 40% of that trash is packaging WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ZERO WASTE Minimizes waste The Average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups each year ZERO WASTE Maximizes recycling Reduces consumption Americans throw out enough paper or plastic cups and Ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace utensils every year to circle the equator 300 times MATERIALS USED IN TRADITIONAL PACKAGING ARE GENERALLY BENEFITS OF ZERO WASTE DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT THESE INCLUDE Certain plastics Polystyrene foam (styrofoam) Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them Polyvinyl chloride THEY CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT CAN Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health Leech into the Contaminate the environment ground and water Adversely affect plant and animal life HIGHLIGHT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE Implementing zero-waste to its fullest would mean ensuring a product poses a net-benefit to the environment throughout its entire life-cycle - especially towards the end of its lifespan GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH An estimated 270,00 square mile patch of plastic A future of zero waste packaging would be one in which all packaging is designed with its end of life in mind - from sustainable, safe materials that are as close to nature as possible and can seamlessly return to it at the end of its life cycle and toxic waste in the North Pacific Ocean. Just one of many patches causing damage to ecosystems around the world SOURCES Be Green http://earth911.com/news/2009/01/16/austin-to-go-zero-waste/ http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/zero_waste.htm http://www.grrn.org/ http://bigthink.com/design-for-good/zero-waste-packaging-free-grocery-store-to-rock-in-texas http://zwia.org/ http://www.cleanair.org/Waste/wasteFacts.html PACKAGING LLC www.begreenpackagingstore.com