The adaptability of plastic packaging allows it to meet a variety of needs for consumer goods. As packaging moves from design phase through recovery/disposal, the varying types of plastics and their unique properties enable many of the choices made along the way: color, weight, size, shape, utility, printing, protection and so on.
Plastics help bring home more product with less packaging. Plastic packaging in general is lightweight and strong—different plastics can be molded, extruded, cast and blown into seemingly limitless shapes and films or foams. This resourcefulness often delivers while using minimal resources, creating less waste, consuming fewer resources and creating fewer CO2 emissions than alternative materials. Plastics make packaging more efficient, which ultimately conserves resources.
Sustainability Outlook
Source reduction continues to be an area of important focus for brand owners and packaging engineers, Plastic is often a more efficient material to choose than alternatives. That’s because plastics are incredibly energy efficient to manufacture and because they are lighter than alternative materials. Just two pounds of plastic can deliver 10 gallons—of a beverage. You’d need three pounds of aluminum, eight pounds of steel, or over 40 pounds of glass to bring home the same amount.
