𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 : 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠.

The research, conducted by sustainability consulting firm Aura, found 37% of consumers surveyed across the two countries had decided against buying something because it was unsustainably packaged.

The figure rose to 42% for European consumers.

"Packaging is the new pressure point for North American brands and retailers," said Gillian Garside-Wight, director of consulting at Aura. "It's become a visible test of their environmental credibility, and if they're willing to accept the costs of positive change.

"Consumers are clearly making decisions based on whether businesses are serious about sustainability," she added.

In particular, the survey found that 80% of all respondents said brands and retailers were using too much packaging, though only 57% of the North American respondents saw a direct link between packaging waste and climate change. That percentage was "significantly higher" in Europe, the survey said.

The United Nations Environment Program estimated in 2021 that >400 million tons of plastic are produced annually.

Chart below shows where the current capacity is concentrated based on 2024 data.

Plastics production continues to grow explosively, It doubled between 2000 and 2019, from 234 to 460 million tons.

Without more ambitious policies, the amount of plastic produced around the world is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040.

Scientists are in the early stages of understanding the health effects of microplastic and nano plastic particles, which have been detected in human organs.

Of the 16,000-plus chemicals in plastics, more than one-fourth are known to be hazardous to human health, while the majority have never been tested for toxicity, according to a recent paper in Nature.

source : Julia Velichko

#Packaging #Plastics