Plastic Doesn't Grow on Trees, but ...
Not necessarily true.
Inflatable air bags, a relatively new voidfill and cushioning technology, are an example of a plastic packaging product with very real sustainable packaging qualities.
Inflatable air bags are extremely lightweight. Energy and fuel consumption used in the transportation of packaging materials through the supply chain have major environmental impact. The packaging mass of inflatables is significantly lower than that of related products such as bubble packaging, single- or multilayer paper dunnage, and even many types of loosefill material (packing peanuts).
Inflatable air bags help reduce package size. Because bags provide strong cushioning and block and bracing performance, they enable shippers to reduce the size of their corrugated shipping boxes. This means even less packaging mass is injected into the recycling or waste stream. The cumulative impact can be substantial, especially in the high volume shipping environments, where inflatables are generally most efficient.
Reduced package size also reduces fuel consumption, as more materials can be shipped in a given volume of truck, rail, or air freight space. For many types of parcel distribution, the environmental impact is difficult to quantify. However, for full truckload and rail shipment scenarios, environmental impact is more obvious and significant.
The environmental benefits of inflatable air bag cushioning translate into economic benefits as well, by reducing freight costs and packaging material costs.
Can plastic packaging products be environmentally friendly? What do you think?
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Packaging Materials, Packaging Equipment, Packaging Solutions
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