Green Packaging

Many years ago newspaper, which is made of biodegradable materials, was used for packaging goods. The development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has led to issues with exposure to carcinogens as well as a non-biodegradable product that causes issues with landfill and pollution.
The hot color topic is green. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we have been jumping on the green or eco friendly bandwagon. Product packaging accounts for millions of pounds in landfill, so retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are looking at alternative packaging that is biodegradable. At the very least, many warehouses have begun to include inserts in their product packaging that encourages reusing or recycling packaging, which may not be biodegradable.

Interestingly enough, according to Steve Jeffrey, president of Imex, sometimes the use of vinyl can actually be a good alternative. He notes the example of the use of a vinyl cover that was utilized as a car seat carrying packaging rather than cardboards that could have accounted for 65 thousand tons in cardboard waste. He expressed that viewing the “big picture” is just as important as switching to an alternative material.

So what is the answer? I suppose it depends on who you talk to and the comparison made between types of materials, amount of materials produced, by-products, environmental impact, and affects on shipping and overall costs. Saying that you are going green does not necessarily mean that you are switching to a completely biodegradable product. It could mean that you consider alternative methods of packaging. Ultimately, time will tell what direction manufactures take to reduce carbon footprint.

Sources
http://www.allbusiness.com/retail/retailers-general-merchandise-stores-discount-club/6618245-1.html
http://www.allbusiness.com:%20environmentally%20friendly%20packaging