Should Paper Packaging Replace Plastic Packaging

SHOULD PAPER PACKAGING REPLACE PLASTIC PACKAGING?

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Due to increased consciousness about the environment, the debate over how to protect the

environment has gained new impetus. Every little action that could contribute some potential

good to the environment has become a point of contest between sides with opposing views. The

debate over whether to ban plastic packaging in grocery stores and supermarkets in favor of

more eco-friendly alternatives like paper or metal is conducted in this context. Some cities have a

gone a step further to ban some type of plastic packaging. For instance, Inhabitat

reports that in

2014, San Francisco banned use of plastic water bottles of less than 21 ounces. Plastics are non-

biodegradable and have negative effects on the environment. However, the alternatives are no

better as they are expensive, inconvenient and have a damaging impact on the environment.

Typically, those who argue for banning of plastic packaging point to paper as a viable

alternative. While the detrimental impacts of plastic on the environment are undeniable, the

impacts of the paper industry are largely ignored. Paper is made from trees in an energy intensive

process that wastes a lot of electricity, water, and wood. Dunn

notes that logging companies

have contributed a great deal to the decimation of many forests and destruction of the

environment. In the paper making process itself, for every tone of wood pulp, two are wasted.

Moreover, papermaking uses mature trees that have grown for ten to fifteen years. If plastic

packaging is banned, the rate of logging required to meet the needs for paper packaging would

lead to clearing of many forests. Comparatively, the process of manufacturing plastic is less

energy intensive and cheaper.

Beth Buczynski. “It’s Official! San Francisco Bans Bottled Water on City Property,”

The Inhabitat last modified, March 16, 2014, http://inhabitat.com/its-official-san-francisco-bans-

bottled-water-on-city-property/.

Collin Dunn. “Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know,” Tree

Hugger, last modified, July 9, 2008, http://www.treehugger.com/culture/paper-bags-or-plastic-

bags-everything-you-need-to-know/page4.html

Once produced, paper and plastic have different effects on the environment. Often this is

the point at which many people interact with both types of packaging, which could explain why

many people argue for a ban of plastics. Plastic packaging is non-biodegradable while paper is

completely biodegradable. In addition, paper can also be recycled. Part of the plastic problem

can be solved by recycling used packaging to create new plastics. However, even in an efficient

system, 100% recycling is not possible. As Dunn

explains, there is inadequate capacity to

recycle all available plastic. The problem is compounded by the fact most of the plastic is made

from unrecyclable material and even the recyclable plastics are down- cycled after the first

recycle (meaning their constitution deteriorates and they cannot be viable for another recycling

process).

When plastics are released into the ecology, they interfere negatively with

bioprocesses for a long time, which could damage ecological systems.

For instance, dumping of

plastic bags in water bodies has led to suffocation and death birds, fish, and other aquatic life.

Still due to the obvious benefits it offers shoppers over paper, the use of plastic packaging

has increased in spite of rising concerns over impact of the environment. For a start, plastic

packaging is more convenient in packaging a wider range of products. For instance, bottled water

cannot be packaged in paper. The alternatives would be to use glass or metallic containers, which

would increase the cost by a significant margin. Plastic packaging is also more convenient to

carry around in nearly every condition. When it is raining, paper packaging will easily get wet

and damage the goods inside. Plastic, on the other hand, will withstand most weather conditions.

Ibid.

Nikhil Bhandare, Gowri, Sundaresan, Nikhil Bhandare. Plastic Packaging the

sustainable and smarter choice. (PWC, 2015), 17.

Marcus Ericksen. “Why We Must Ban Plastic Bags and Support a Circular Economy,”

EcoWatch, last modified, November 11, 2015, http://ecowatch.com/2015/11/11/ban-plastic-bags/

Plastic is also light and thin sheets of plastic can carry a relatively big load. Paper is bulkier in

comparison. Price is also another consideration for consumers. Consumers generally want the

cheaper alternative. The cheaper choice for many grocery stores and supermarkets is plastic

bags. If grocery stores were to use paper packaging, they would insist on passing on the cost to

the customer. This has so far been unsuccessful since buyers want to reduce cost as much as they

possibly can.

Still, the impact of plastic packaging on the environment seems to be somewhat

exaggerated bearing in mind other amounts of waste produced by cities and homes. Minter

insists that plastic packaging might not be as big a problem as perceived:

Part of the problem is that -- despite the world-saving rhetoric that typically promotes and

supports plastic bag bans -- plastic bags simply aren't that big of a problem. According to

the national data recorded by the EPA in 2013, the weight of single-use plastic shopping

bags amounted to around 0.28 percent of the total municipal solid waste that Americans

generate. A more finely tuned litter survey in Fort Worth, Texas found that just 0.12

percent of the weight of litter in the city comes from single-use bags.

Weight may not be an accurate measure of impact on the environment. Nonetheless, Graham

argues that the problem of inadequate recycling for plastic can also be addressed. The writer uses

Adam Minter. “How a Ban on Plastic Bags Can Go Wrong,” Bloomberg View, last

modified, August 18, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-18/how-a-ban-on-

plastic-bags-can-go-wrong

Michael Graham. “A look inside Sweden's recycling-obsessed, garbage-powered

cities,” Tree Hugger, last modified, November 4, 2014,

http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/look-inside-swedens-garbage-powered-cities-

video.html

the case of Sweden, which recycles nearly all its waste. The unrecyclable parts are incinerated to

generate energy. That way, Sweden eliminates all but one per cent of its waste.

While the threat of plastics on the environment should not be ignored, paper, which is the

most viable alternative to plastic packaging has its own negative environmental impact especially

at the production stage. Banning plastic packaging would lead to higher demand for paper and

lead to clearing of large swathes of forests to cater for increased demand for paper packaging.

Plastic packaging is non-biodegradable unlike paper, which is completely degradable. However,

consumers still prefer plastic packaging to paper since plastic is cheaper and more convenient to

carry around.

Bibliography

Adam Minter. “How a Ban on Plastic Bags Can Go Wrong,” Bloomberg View, last modified,

August 18, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-18/how-a-ban-on-

plastic-bags-can-go-wrong

Beth Buczynski. “It’s Official! San Francisco Bans Bottled Water on City Property,” The

Inhabitat last modified, March 16, 2014, http://inhabitat.com/its-official-san-francisco-

bans-bottled-water-on-city-property/.

Collin Dunn. “Paper Bags or Plastic Bags? Everything You Need to Know,” Tree Hugger, last

modified, July 9, 2008, http://www.treehugger.com/culture/paper-bags-or-plastic-bags-

everything-you-need-to-know/page4.html

Marcus Ericksen. “Why We Must Ban Plastic Bags and Support a Circular Economy,”

EcoWatch, last modified, November 11, 2015, http://ecowatch.com/2015/11/11/ban-

plastic-bags/

Michael Graham. “A look inside Sweden's recycling-obsessed, garbage-powered cities,” Tree

Hugger, last modified, November 4, 2014, http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-

policy/look-inside-swedens-garbage-powered-cities-video.html

Nikhil Bhandare, Gowri, Sundaresan, Nikhil Bhandare. Plastic Packaging the sustainable and

smarter choice. (PWC, 2015), 17.

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Should paper packaging replace plastic packaging

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