Everything is a matter of perspective. The more research that was performed, the fewer number
of answer about the environment that were black and white. One step in energy savings sacrifices
solid waste management and vice versa. It is a never ending battle of chasing — like that of the
recycle symbol
It was very surprising how few consumers even knew what that symbol meant, much less knew
what sustainability meant. Five people out of 148 provided a clear and correct definition of
sustainability. What is of a greater concern is that most of the survey participants were between
the ages of 18-25. This is the future generation that be responsible for changes to come. It was
interesting to see that some of the perceptions of this future generation were in fact the same as
their parents. For example, aerosol spray cans used to be manufactured with CFC’s and had a bad
reputation. Currently, aerosol spray cans are not manufactured with CFC’s and are just as recyclable,
if not more so, than the plastic pump bottle, yet the majority of survey participants listed
the plastic pump bottle as being more environmentally friendly.
With effort, the plastic type bottles can be very sustainable as can be seen with Aveda’s product.
They have created a system which is a closed loop requiring very little virgin material or input.
This should really begin to be manufacturer’s goal as this is almost purely the definition of sustainability.
However, when materials are reused so efficiently there is no chance for energy retrieval.
One of the great banes of packaging is the multi layered package. It is debatable that making one
layer out of paper or PLA (those are both renewable and biodegradable), is really going to prove
to be a boon to a package as there is no way of separating that layer to recycle or degrade that
layer. When it comes down to solid waste the shiny lays bag is probably the least dense and takes
up less space in a landfill. However, as can be seen by the survey results, most consumers pick the
bag that appears to be made of paper although it has just as many disadvantages as the bag made
from plastic. If manufacturer’s can create a pillow pouch bag which is made from 100 percent renewable
resources and is 100 percent biodegradable and does not require more energy to manufacture,
then at that point there would be an obvious winner. Currently, however, consumers just see paper and think “good for the environment.”
That very same idea may be seen with the plastic orange bottle versus the paper orange juice
bottle. While aseptic packages may offer the great advantage of not needing refrigeration therefore
saving energy, the fact is that when you go to a grocery store, many shelf stable packages are
kept in the refrigerated section.
Even items which are obviously shelf stable are often found in the refrigerated section as can
be seen with many sodas. Glass and aluminum bottles really are seen by consumers as being the
most environmentally friendly over plastic bottles. However, the plastic bottle has many advantages
as well. Consumers simply perceive these as being more environmentally friendly due to
their image as being easily recycled.
When all the data from the survey is analyzed, it is clear that the consumer is not as informed as
previously thought. They base their purchases on what companies they know and how a package
looks before even considering the environmental impact of their purchase. That in mind, package
manufacturers really need to do a good job in picking the process and the materials which are
best for the environment. With the packages that are winning awards, it can be seen that many
are making leaps and bounds in the right direction, considering more than just materials and not
attempting to advertise any more than exactly what they are offering.
More changes still need to be made before we can consider our packages sustainable. The most
energy and material efficient packaging has gone the way of the milkman. More collection and
full circle recycling needs to occur. Incineration is a great source of energy — but it too consumes
resources so can not be seen as the answer. While the answer to sustainability is hardly clear,
manufacturers are making steps in the right direction, admirably lead by themselves and having
little to do with simply pleasing the whims of the uninformed consumer and are taking the advice
of experts who have done research in the area of sustainability. There is a lot of hope for the
future that we may be able to still allow future generations to meet their needs without compromising
ours.