The fight against packaging
pollution and its detrimental effect on the eco-system is one which doesn’t lie only in the hands of
consumers. Recently, research has shown that manufacturers
contribute to the increase in packaging pollution. Bad packing habit is the
bane of most manufacturing companies. Nowadays, most consumer products contain
way too many packaging, and these
contribute to environmental pollution.
When
it comes to recycling, there are many proactive people in the UK. However, research carried out by an online labeling
website Seareach
on the highest consumer concerns regarding
recycling discovered that people are tired of manufacturers not taking
necessary steps towards reducing their packaging. Worst case involves
manufacturers using packaging materials that cannot be reused. Furthermore, people are concerned that local recycling
authorities are providing consistent recycling services across the country.
Since the 1970s, when litter was of
significant concern, packaging has often been associated with reckless behavior. This is partly because packaging
wastes are an obvious part of
environmental problems. The negative image of packaging does not, however,
translate into consumer hostility at the point
of sale. Products and not packages are bought. The package is not noticed during purchase, transport, and use of the
product. In fact, it is not noticed until the minute the product is consumed, and the package had fulfilled its function and turned into waste. At that minute, the package is already seen as an environmental
burden, wasting resources. Those concerned with
the state of the environment can partake in reducing this burden through
packaging recovery programs.
What is the role of packaging?
The main
role of packaging is to protect the products within from damage and
external influences, to contain easy-to-damage parts of the products, and to
provide consumers with vital information about the product, which is often
written on the package.
The goal of packaging is to solely
protect the product most cost-effectively,
satisfying consumer desires and industrial requirements. However, manufacturers have resulted in putting in a way
too much packaging than required, thereby
increasing recycled wastes and promoting environmental degradation.
To find out what irritates people the most about
recycling in the UK, online label manufacturer Seareach. Plc surveyed
over 3,000 people aged over 18 asking them: “What frustrates you most about
recycling?” Asking people to choose how they feel about the current recycling
situation in the UK, they found the most prominent issues were:
- Manufacturers using too much packaging – 39%
- Poor
recycling labels – 6% - Not knowing what you can and can’t recycle – 24%
- Onus on the consumer, not manufacturers – 11%
- Lack
of local recycling options – 11% - Confusing
information – 6%
Most people are not happy with the high amount of packaging
manufacturers use. Seareach also found out that a lot of people responded to the fact that some products come in black packaging
which is sometimes challenging to recycle.
Following on from this survey, Seareach asked
respondents what they thought would be useful solutions to the current
recycling situation in the UK. They questioned: “What ideas would you like to
see adopted?” They found people wanted:
- Apps to scan barcodes for recycling info – 38%
- Recycling at supermarkets for all packaging – 68%
- Councils to be more transparent about recycling – 65%
- Consistent and understandable labeling – 67%
The study showed that most people want to be able to
recycle where those products are bought – at the supermarket – and better
labeling which makes it clear what can and can’t be recycled, along with
consistent recycling systems across the country. A change in what materials can
be recycled, such as wrappers and foil packaging, and an end to foil-plastic
hybrids which can’t be recycled was also important.
Speaking about the in-depth study on recycling, Stuart
Jailer of Search said:
“The feedback we got from this study was eye-opening
with a huge amount of ideas people have and what they want to see in the UK.
Everyone wants to be able to recycle effectively. However, they find this
increasingly harder to do despite numerous campaigns on plastic and pollution.
Improved labeling, more places to recycle various packaging types and ways to
utilize technology were key points people wanted to see changed.”
He added:
“A lot of people were concerned that even though we
sort our packaging at home, once it gets to councils, we don’t know that it’s
getting properly recycled. Instead, people worry that a lot of it is heading to
landfills or being shipped abroad. Consumers want to have more transparency and
also want to see manufacturers actually being proactive about the problem, with
many people sick of the onus being on the consumer. It would be good to see a
complete ban on unrecyclable packaging and a reduction in non-essential plastic
products.“
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