The True Benefits of Greener Packaging

As a packaging machine manufacturer, our company must keep up on consumer trends just like any company packaging a product.  Consumer trends obviously impact product packaging, and product packaging impacts the design of our conveyor systems, container cleaning equipment, filling machines, capping machines and other packaging equipment.  For instance, the demand for greener, more sustainable packaging has led to an increase in the use of pouch type packaging as of late, with packagers such as Heinz and Campbells a couple of the latest to introduce pouch type packaging.  However, the simple consumer demand for greener packaging is only the first step in actual creating a greener world and realizing the benefits of recycling.

 

Of course, as a company and as inhabitants of this planet, we are all for greener packaging as well as greener and more sustainable processes.  However, simply selling a product in a greener package does little to help the environment.  That "green" material must make it back to a recycling center and be processed before any benefits are actually realized.  Though the progession of material through the recycling process will differ from one location to the next, sometimes even within the same city or county, there does seem to be one disturbing similarity between most of the programs.  Google local news sites in New York, Chicago, Boston or almost any other city and you can search and find articles related to an overflow of recycling materials, a lack of funding for recycling programs or even a lack of space for recycling facilities.   

 

This does not mean recycling efforts are for naught, or that we should give up on recycling or forget about greener, sustainable packaging.  There is no doubt that recycling efforts have been ramped up and shown benefits as of late.  Large corporations and small businesses alike have provided the greener packaging.  Individual consumers have increased recycling efforts several times over in the last decade, as evidenced by the overflow of materials waiting to be re-used.  These are two big steps in creating a greener, more sustainable environment.  Now some of these same corporations that provided the packaging, along with governmental bodies at the local, state and national levels, must figure out how to complete this circle.

 

So as a packager, how much emphasis do you put on green packaging?  In our opinion, quite a bit.  Even if the recycling system for green packaging still has some work to be done, the public - otherwise known as your customer - is overwhelmingly demanding greener packaging.  Give your customers what they want.  We also would like to assume that more sustainable, greener packaging is more than a fad or trend, and that progress will continue to be made.  For the same reasons, we will continue to update, upgrade and tweak our packaging machinery - from power conveyors to liquid fillers to accumulating turntables - to handle green, sustainable packaging materials.

 

For more information on any of the packaging equipment manufactured by Liquid Packaging Solutions, contact a representative toll free today at 1-888-393-3693.