From my 2 weeks of trash collection, I
found that food packaging was one of my top 3 waste that I produced. In
addition, a study done has showed that in Singapore, food packaging accounts
for up to 11% of the 766, 800 tonnes of plastic waste produced. Furthermore,
food packaging makes up 14% of 588, 500 tonnes of paper and cardboard waste. In
total, Singapore has produced 3.02 million tonnes of food packaging waste in
2015 which raises concern as a lot of waste is being produced from food
packaging alone (Choo, 2016). But how is food packaging harmful to the
environment?
Firstly, food packaging are usually
made from plastic which is non-biodegradable. Hence, when these food packaging
are thrown away, they will remain on the earth for a long period of time and
leech harmful chemicals into the soil which would pollute the land and even
groundwater storage. Secondly, when plastic food packaging are thrown away,
they might be washed off into oceans and water bodies. Marine animals might
then mistake the food packaging as food and ingest them causing the marine
animals to become poisoned, fall ill and even die. Lastly, 4% of the world’s
oil production has been used to manufacture plastic while another 4% is used to
produce energy needed to make the plastic. Hence when these plastic food
packaging are thrown away, the resources poured into the manufacturing of these
food packaging will also be wasted (Knoblauch, 2009).
So what are some alternatives that we
can use instead of the common plastic food packaging?
Firstly, we have glass jars which is
an environmentally-friendly product that has many similar properties to plastic
containers. The different sizes of glass jars that are available can be used to
store different types of food in places such as the fridge and cupboard making
it very convenient and easy to use. Furthermore, some glass can create an
airtight environment to store certain types of food better. Glass jars are
better than plastic containers as plastic containers are made up of many
different chemicals. Hence, when plastic containers are used for an extended
period of time, the plastic starts to wear and tear which might result in the
leaching of harmful chemicals into food causing health issues. Plastic
containers are often non-recyclable as well unlike glass jars which means that
once thrown away, they will stay on the earth for a long period of time and
pollute the soil and oceans (Badore, 2015; Sustainable baby steps, n.d.a.;
Sustainable baby steps, n.d.c.). Hence, I plan to start using glass jars and
containers instead of plastic containers to store some of the food I have in my
house as it is more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, I will use the plastic
containers that have been replaced by glass jars and containers to store other
things in my house such as stationary to make full use of the plastic container
instead of throwing it away.
Secondly, when buying takeaway food,
a lot of plastic will be given such as the plastic container to store food and
plastic utensils. All these plastic food packaging that are given when buying
takeaway are very harmful to the environment as they will be disposed of
immediately after use and contribute to the plastic waste produced in Singapore.
Hence, an alternative that we can use will be stainless steel containers.
Stainless steel containers are lightweight and reusable which makes it easy for
everyone to carry around making it a good alternative to use when buying takeaway
to eliminate the plastic waste generated. Stainless steel containers can also
be used to store food at home in cupboards of fridges making it a multi-use
product. Hence, I will make the effort to bring a stainless steel container as
a lunchbox when buying takeaway in the future to reduce the amount of plastic
waste I produce (Sustainable baby steps, n.d.a.; Sustainable baby steps,
n.d.b.).
Lastly, compostable food packaging
and utensils can substitute plastic food packaging. Products such as bamboo
lunchboxes which are compostable food boxes are ideal for storing various kinds
of food and the lunchbox can undergo composting after use. These lunchboxes are
made from renewable resources which makes it a better alternative compared to
oil-based plastic lunchboxes as the process of making these lunchboxes are not
harmful to the environment. Compostable bags are also available in the market
for use to wrap food and package food items. These food bags can then be
recycled to collect kitchen waste after use and can be added to the compost bin
to become compost. These products can be easily purchased online from companies
such as Eco Lunchbox which is a company that aims to reduce the usage of
plastic as it is harmful for the earth. I intend to buy these food bags for use
as well to be used as an alternative for plastic wrap as I make sandwiches
quite often and use plastic wrap to package the sandwiches. Hence by using the
food bags that are compostable, I will be able to reduce the waste from using
plastic wraps (Eco Lunchbox, n.d.; Pullen, n.d.).
Left Image taken from Eco Lunchbox; Right Image taken from greenhome
(Left: Lunchbox I can use when buying takeaways; Right: Compostable food bag alternative to wrap food instead of plastic wrap)
References
Badore, M. (2015, March).
11 easy ways to reduce your plastic waste today. Treehugger.
Retrieved
from http://www.treehugger.com/green-home/11-easy-ways-reduce-your-plastic-waste-today.html
Choo, F. (2016, August
26). NEA to study impact of takeaway packages. The Straits Times.
Retrieved
from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nea-to-study-impact-of-takeaway-packages
Eco Lunchbox.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://ecolunchboxes.com/
Knoblauch, J. A. (2009,
July 2). The environmental toll of plastics. Environmental Health News.
Retrieved
from http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/dangers-of-plastic
Pullen, K. (n.d.).
Compostable Food Packaging. Lovetoknow.
Retrieved from
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Compostable_Food_Packaging
Sustainable baby steps.
(n.d.a). 35+ Alternatives to Plastic Items in Your Home. Retrieved from
http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/alternatives-to-plastic.html
Sustainable baby steps.
(n.d.b). Sustainable and Healthy Kids’ Lunchbox Ideas. Retrieved from
http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/lunchbox-ideas.html
Sustainable baby steps.
(n.d.c). The Dangers of and 3 Alternatives to Plastic Food Storage
Containers.
Retrieved from http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/plastic-food-storage-containers.html
