Sustainable Packaging Materials for the Circular Economy
Plastic production exceeds 400 million metric tonnes annually. However, only 9% of that waste plastic is recycled, and 12% is incinerated. The remaining 79% ends up in landfills or in the environment and stays forever, as plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose.
Traditional disposal methods, such as landfilling, release methane gas, making it one of the most potent greenhouse gases and a huge contributor to climate change. Incineration poses its own set of problems by releasing pollutants into the air. Recycling, although it's a potential solution, also suffers from environmental impacts. According to a study that focused on a recycling facility in the United Kingdom, anywhere between 6 and 13 percent of the plastic processed could end up being released into water or the air as microplastics.
In response to this crisis, there has been a growing interest in developing biodegradable materials as sustainable substitutes for conventional petroleum-based plastics, which could help move towards a more circular economy.
Understanding the Circular Economy
According to Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. Unlike the linear economy, which perpetuates a 'throwaway' culture, in the circular economy products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting.
The difference of linear economy and circular economy
The circular economy is a strategic approach to revolutionising manufacturing and product design while also revolutionising waste management. While the ideal scenario involves minimising waste generation altogether, a more realistic approach is needed for feasible solutions. Biodegradable materials offer the potential to foster product versatility while mitigating environmental impact.
The Role of Biodegradable Materials in the Circular Economy
Biodegradable and compostable materials enhance the principles of the circular economy by facilitating closed-loop systems. These systems enable the efficient utilisation of organic waste to generate valuable resources for the creation of new products or services. For instance, compostable coffee capsules present a truly sustainable solution where they can be collected with kitchen scraps for composting processes. The compost enriches soil quality, thereby supporting agricultural and fostering the cultivation of more food or other crops.
The adoption of biodegradable materials to produce sustainable packaging is also aligned with the key principles of the circular economy according to Ellen MacArthur Foundation:
1. Eliminate waste and pollution
Sometimes waste is inevitable in certain situations, but waste is the result of design choices. By shifting our mindset, we can rethink our packaging to ensure that the materials re-enter the economy at the end of their use.
One of the primary advantages of biodegradable materials is their ability to break down naturally at the end of their lifecycle. This means that products made from these materials can be composted or otherwise disposed of in ways that minimise their environmental impact, leading to a significant reduction in waste sent to landfills or incinerators.
2. Circulate products and materials
There are many types of packaging in our current economy that cannot be circulated and end up as waste. In fact, 46% of plastic waste comes from packaging. To be aligned with this circular principle, we need to keep packaging materials in use, either as a product or, when that can no longer be used, as components or raw materials. This way, nothing becomes waste, and the intrinsic value of products and materials is retained.
Biodegradable materials facilitate the transition to closed-loop systems, where packaging is designed to be composted at the end of its life. When biodegradable packaging decomposes, it releases valuable nutrients back into the soil, enriching it and supporting the growth of new plant life. This helps to regenerate ecosystems and is essential for sustaining agricultural productivity and biodiversity. By integrating these materials into the manufacturing process, businesses can ensure that the packaging is safely returned to the earth.
3. Regenerate nature
In a circular economy, land dedicated to material sourcing will be focused on renewable resources, grown in a regenerative way, rather than the extraction of finite materials.
Biodegradable materials are derived from renewable sources, such as agricultural and plant waste, making them a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics. By using renewable resources, we can reduce our dependence on finite resources and lessen the environmental impact associated with resource extraction and processing.
Redefine Sustainable Packaging with Solinatra
Solinatra is a revolutionary solution to the global packaging crisis. By harnessing the power of nature to create packaging that not only serves its purposes but also leaves zero microplastics once its job is done, we can minimise waste, conserve resources, and protect our planet for future generations.
Redefining sustainable packaging goes beyond just the materials themselves; it's also about how we design and use them. Solinatra can be used to produce many single-use products and seamlessly ‘drops in’ to existing manufacturing processes and machinery, with the same comfortability as traditional products. The main difference is that Solinatra requires fewer resources to produce, further reducing the environmental footprint.
We encourage businesses, manufacturers, and brand owners to integrate Solinatra into our daily lives and production processes so we can move closer to achieving the vision of a circular economy where waste is minimised, resources are conserved, and ecosystems thrive.
If you have any enquiries, don't hesitate to contact us today!