Rising interest in eco-friendly materials has propped up a debate between paper vs plastic packaging. Paper is often hailed as being easily recyclable, while plastic is known for its light and durable qualities. But which material comes out on top overall?
In this article, we’ll take a look at:
How does paper production compare to plastic?
The Environment Agency (UK) reports that paper must be reused at least three times to negate its higher climate warming potential, compared to plastic. This fact begs the question, what makes paper’s climate footprint larger?
For starters, it takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to produce a plastic bag, according to a report commissioned by the Northern Ireland Assembly. You can only imagine what the difference would be for producing material-heavy paper void fill, compared to air cushions made of 99% air.
There’s also the problem of toxic waste and air pollution. Paper production releases a higher concentration of toxic chemicals than making thin plastic, BBC reports. In total, paper production generates 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than making the equivalent amount of plastic.
Finally, source materials need to be considered. Paper is often lauded for being made of renewable resources (trees) and not oil or gas. However, cutting down trees at an accelerating rate causes deforestation, which introduces a plethora of problems like loss of wildlife habitat. Meanwhile, thin plastic film is commonly made from the byproducts of oil refining, using up what’s left from the fuel industry.
The difference is even starker when it comes to void fill. Paper is much heavier and uses about 5X as much material to fill the same space as Opus™ air cushions.
The difference is even starker when it comes to void fill. Paper is much heavier and uses about 5X as much material to fill the same space as Opus™ air cushions.
How are air cushions more economical than paper void fill?
The Environmental Literacy Council estimates that one lorry of plastic carriers could transport the same number of bags as seven lorries filled with paper carriers. That’s because paper bags weigh more than plastic ones. As a result, vehicle emissions and fuel consumption rise as the weight of shipments grows.
The difference is even starker when it comes to void fill. Paper is much heavier and uses about 5X as much material to fill the same space as Opus™ air cushions. This contributes greatly to the already higher climate impact of paper packaging.
Of course, plastic doesn’t come without issues. Virgin plastics are widely criticised for their relatively low recycling rates, which is an especially acute problem with materials like polystyrene. As a solution, Greenlight has developed a unique blend for Opus™ air cushions, containing at least 50% recycled materials. Greenlight also offers a biodegradable range or air pillows.
