How is plastic packaging hindering our environment?
It's no joke or surprise how much the world is filled with toxicity! With everything rising, development, industrial exposure etc, so is the use of plastic. It’s been said that about 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year worldwide. That’s terrifying to know! Isn’t it? Out of which, India is responsible for 3.5 million tonnes of it, which has doubled over the past five years. The cosmetic industry is not the only thing that gives rise to plastic wastage, there’s a lot more to this world! Since everything is done online nowadays, we even shop online! It’s obvious! Who likes to go out and shop when things can arrive right at your doorstep. No one likes to go extra miles now. So, whenever you order something, be it your personal care, to your edibles or food, to apparels or random stuff, it comes in a plastic container, packed in plastic material or any other one, that is in no way recyclable or reusable! All these small things that are a part of daily life are exploitation. Sad thing being, millions of parcels arrive everyday contributing to a lot of wastage specially when you just need one or two things and are left with a giant unrecyclable material in your vanity.
Packaging has somewhat become a big concern since that’s one of the major things contributing to waste. As stated how much waste is generated with the use of plastic packaging, it’s high time that brands start mending their ways and move towards sustainability. Starting from their ingredients to the way they send their products, everything should be done considering the environment. Recycling and sustainability go together! By sending out products that can be used for a different purpose or can be put to other use is the top thing to be considered. It decreases a lot of wastage if you can use your hair or skin products to store some other things and the same goes when it’s packed up in some recyclable material that won’t hinder the natural resources. Lucky to say, some of the brands have actually implemented this and every product and ingredient that comes from them is safe, clean and non toxic. Sustainability, on the other hand, means that a company takes economical and environmental causes into consideration. This indicates that a business must be able to conserve natural resources, support a healthy community and workforce, and produce enough revenue to be financially viable in the long run in order to be considered sustainable. With the increase of renewable energy or decrease of wastage, you can say you’re heading towards sustainable causes. Making eco conscious decisions is what drives them ahead. The best part being whatever ingredients they use for their products, are safe, natural and won’t harm since there are no chemicals present. They even provide transparency regarding everything. Nowadays, people are actually more inclined towards sustainable brands and practices, because the damage done by others is too much and visible to everyone now.
Have you ever thought about the hazardous results you get when you use plastic or some other non recyclable material? It’s not only dangerous for animals or Earth, but over here humans are no exception too. Millions of plastic production leads to millions of living creatures being dead. Don’t believe us? Then realise it yourself. Since plastic is made up of chemicals that are planet - warming fuels in nature such as gas, oil or even coal, it has zero chance of being reused too. Plastic stays in the environment for a long time, posing a threat to wildlife and spreading toxins and contributes to global warming as well. You’ll find bits and pieces of plastic everywhere - mountains, land and underwater. There’s no place left in the world where it hasn’t lived and spread out it’s dangerous wings. Plastic has also been found inside the stomachs of 90% of sea birds, turtles and choked whales to death. Scary, right? There’s more! The toxic chemicals present in plastic leaches out and is found in the blood and tissues or humans, causing cancer, immunity problems, endocrine disruption and a lot more serious issues. So yes, if these deadly things aren't enough to make you think twice about your purchase, God knows what will!
Sure, being a sustainable brand brings up many challenges and there are a lot of hassles that come in between, but knowing that anything we produce or generate does no harm, means more than anything. Being toxic free, green and clean has always been a better idea rather than contributing to waste and disruption of Earth. As said, we take full consideration of minute details regarding our products. Making sure that all of them are made up with safe ingredients and zero chemicals, we also believe in the 3 R's - reuse, reduce and recycle and thus only use materials that have all three of them valid. With everything being eco conscious, we've curated our products to be the best for the environment and for people too!
Know more about Plastics, Recycling and Packaging in our insightful podcast ‘A Sublime Life’.
- Aparna Das
