Why Switch from Plastic to Biodegradable Paperboard Packaging?
At this point, everyone has heard the phrase “plastic is bad,” so why do we still see so many companies producing products in plastic packaging and why should we be advocating for the switch to biodegradable paperboard packaging?
Most plastics are made from natural materials like cellulose, coal, natural gas, and crude oil, but the result at the end of their life cycle is anything but natural. 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year and another 27 million tons end up in landfills. These numbers are staggering and contribute to the overall environmental crisis by polluting our communities and waterways. Ocean plastics are most commonly discovered when they endanger marine life like seabirds, whales, fish, turtles, and other aquatic animals. The animals mistake the plastic for food such as jellyfish or other small sea creatures and eat it thinking they are getting a nice dinner. Instead, their stomachs get filled with harmful chemicals and plastics, which can cause them to starve to death because there is less room for real food. If the animals don’t ingest the plastics, they can still get trapped in different types of plastic products. The most common examples are straws and hi-cones or yokes as they are commonly referred to. Hi-cones are the plastic circular rings that hold together soda cans when you buy them at the grocery store and can become twisted around the necks of several types of marine animals. Straws pose a danger especially to sea turtles who have been found with them dangerously jammed up their nose. Because there are so many threats that come with producing plastic packaging, we have switched over to Biodegradable Paperboard Packaging!
So what is Paperboard Packaging? It is a form of packaging that is thicker than normal paper, but not in the same way as cardboard. While cardboard is made of 3 layers of paper (2 flat and 1 wavy in the middle) paperboard is 1 layer that is thicker and sturdy enough to hold products. In the case of our deodorant sticks, the packaging is a curved container similar in shape to a normal plastic deodorant bottle, but instead of wasting plastic on the twist-up mechanism, it is a simple push on the bottom piece of paperboard to get more deodorant on the top. Biodegradable packaging has so many other great features including being recyclable and having a lower environmental impact, all while being durable and reliable to use for everyday products. Plus, if they happen to make their way into the water systems at some point, they dissolve in water and won’t be harmful to marine life or the ocean ecosystems as a whole. So, what are you waiting for? Make the switch to paperboard packaging today!
