𝐀 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐭𝐨-𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 🌍
(responding to disheartening recyclability statistics)
Reusing waste materials is an obvious way to achieve a more ecologically sustainable way of life.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy, certainly not everywhere. Not all countries are equally recycle-savvy, so often perfectly reusable materials end up in landfill or incinerated.
Recycling requires a well-functioning infrastructure of waste streams and waste processing facilities. One might assume that developed countries have this covered, but the statistics tell a different story.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
– In the United States only 5% of all plastic waste is recycled. The rest is dumped in the ground or burned for energy.
– In Europe, the recycling rate is just under 40%. With this rate, Europe is doing significantly better. And yet, two-thirds of the plastic waste is incinerated.
You can be either disheartened by these statistics, or you can respond proactively.
A simple and effective approach is to substitute plastic with a renewable material like paper that is easier to recycle than plastic. Less plastic packaging means less plastic waste. For this reason, we’d like to see a reduction of plastic in food packaging.
Colombier EcoBarrier™ solutions are recyclable paper mono-materials. They excel in both recyclability and composability. EcoBarrier™ packaging is suitable for the regular paper waste stream. And if, by chance, the material ends up discarded, it biodegrades according to norms set for garden composting.