A new independent life-cycle study commissioned by the Athena Institute refutes some claims made regarding sustainable packaging. The study examined the environmental affects of packaging derived from petroleum- and bio-based plastics.
The report emphasizes that we must consider all factors when debating the merits of any given material, including fossil fuel depletion, irrigation requirements, diversion of land from growing crops, and end-of-life alternatives (e.g. landfill capacity, biodegradability, composting, incineration, recycling etc.).
In the summary, Wayne Trusty, President of Athena Institute, states, “In general, then, the world of plastics is no less complex than any of the other environmental issues that we face. There are no simple, black and white answers. While this report doesn’t cover all of the issues to the same extent, or to the degree that may be warranted, it does provide hard data on the environmental flows associated with comparable plastic products made from bio-based and petroleum-based resins. We trust that it will help shift the discussion from a fairly simplistic focus on attributes toward a more scientific and objective analysis of true environmental performance. As readers will see from the results presented here, there is no clear winner in this comparison; there is an identification of trade-offs, which is as it should be.”
Bob Lilienfeld, editor of The ULS Report, said, “This study illustrates that one of the keys to increased sustainability revolves around minimizing packaging weight and not worrying about whether the plastic involved is made from renewable or non-renewable resources. In the end, the package that weighs less is usually the best choice for the wallet and the environment.”
Click here to ready the complete study.
Dennis Bacchetta
Diamondessence™
Packaging
