Metal Packaging Is Not the Enemy
Is packaging wasted? Well, certainly, some packaging is. But it depends upon your definition of waste. If a metal can is placed into the general waste stream, for example, then yes, it is wasted. If it enters into the recycling stream, then perhaps the consumer sees it as a waste product sent for recycling, but the item itself is far from wasted. In the case of metal, its properties are such that it can be recycled indefinitely without any degradation in quality, which creates what we call a circular economy. Provided the key elements of the circle are all performing their specific duties, it is a truly sustainable model. We have known this for some time, but what is perhaps less known is that food waste has a greater impact on the environment than packaging waste. Although the latter must of course be given our full attention, the former must also be looked at closely to ensure we are not ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ – so to speak.