Over the past few decades, households have become increasingly busy and convenience has become an important factor in purchases. At the same time, the amount of packaging on an individual food product or other consumer item has increased. While packaging does improve safety, offer convenience and reduce theft, it also comes with a number of disadvantages. Packaging can be bulky, expensive and environmentally damaging over the course of its life cycle.
Cost
While packaging can do a lot to get customer attention, and may even add value to a product, it also adds to the cost of production and the eventual retail price. According to Know This, packaging can represent as much as 40 percent of the selling price of products in industries such as the cosmetic industry. New packaging can be expensive to develop, adding to the cost of products.
Landfill Impact
Packaging is responsible for significant portions of the waste stream. According to the Ashland Food Cooperative, packaging is responsible for about one third of the municipal waste in the United States. Some waste can be recycled, but many materials are not appropriate for recycling. Post-consumer recycled content is often usable only in specific contexts. For instance, many types of recycled plastic may not be used in food containers, even if the original plastic came from food containers. Much of the waste produced by packaging ends up in a landfill.
Production Footprint
Products with more packaging also use more resources in production. According to Green Living Tips, around 12 million barrels of oil are used to make shopping bags for U.S. consumers each year. Over 10 million barrels are used to make water bottles, and one pound of polystyrene (Styrofoam) uses about two pounds of petroleum stock. Production also requires energy, usually sourced from burning fossil fuels, and may produce air and water pollution.
FAQs
Following are the disadvantages of the packaging: Cost: The packaging is often cheap, but embellishing them with personalization and coating could burden the wallet. It would require more money for extra design and printing. Plastic: A few packaging solutions use plastic or exhaust natural resources for preparation.
What is the disadvantage of package? ›
While packaging does improve safety, offer convenience and reduce theft, it also comes with a number of disadvantages. Packaging can be bulky, expensive and environmentally damaging over the course of its life cycle.
What are the negative effects of packaging? ›
Here are some ways in which packaging can contribute to environmental damage:
- Resource Extraction. ...
- Energy Consumption. ...
- Waste Generation. ...
- Pollution and Litter. ...
- Chemical and Toxin Release. ...
- Transportation Impact. ...
- Land and Water Contamination.
But for now, here are five of the most common packaging problems and solutions that your business might be experiencing.
- Problem #1: Damage During Shipping. ...
- Problem #2: Inefficient Packaging Design. ...
- Problem #3: Sustainability Concerns. ...
- Problem #4: High Packaging Costs. ...
- Problem #5: Poor Product Presentation.
Plastic waste is a global problem. Packaging accounts for around 36 percent of all plastic produced, according to the UN, and 85 percent of it ends up in landfills. Most single-use plastics (98 percent) are produced from fossil fuels.
What are the disadvantages of box packaging? ›
- Not for extremely heavy items. If the wrong carton size or insufficient padding is used, cardboard shipping cartons may not be effective with weighty items.
- May deform under pressure. Despite its strength, cardboard can be crushed, dented, or otherwise damaged under some conditions.
- Not weatherproof.
a condition or situation that causes problems, especially one that causes something or someone to be less successful than other things ...
What are the disadvantages of flexible packaging? ›
Disadvantages Of Flexible Packaging
- Exposure to extreme temperatures could affect the integrity of the package.
- More difficult to package with fewer co-packers who handle these containers.
- Limited shapes and package sizes due to rigidity constraints.
- Not as durable or chemical resistant as rigid packaging.
Heavily processed foods often include unhealthy levels of added sugar, sodium and fat. These ingredients make the food we eat taste better, but too much of them leads to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
What packaging is bad for the environment? ›
Polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, is a non-recyclable packaging material that persists in landfills indefinitely. Its production contributes to the depletion of non-renewable resources and the emission of harmful pollutants.
One of the primary disadvantages of paper packaging is its vulnerability to moisture. Unlike plastic or metal, paper can absorb water, compromising its structural integrity. This makes it inappropriate for products that require high levels of protection against moisture or have a long shelf life.
What are the characteristics of bad packaging? ›
Some of the worst packaging that you've seen today has a lot to do with volume. A grossly oversized box, or excess fillers. While a lot of that may be cardboard, it still all ends up as waste.
How much of waste is packaging? ›
Containers and packaging make up a major portion of municipal solid waste (MSW), amounting to 82.2 million tons of generation in 2018 (28.1 percent of total generation). Packaging is the product used to wrap or protect goods, including food, beverages, medications and cosmetic products.
What is packaging waste? ›
Packaging waste, the part of the waste that consists of packaging and packaging material, is a major part of the total global waste, and the major part of the packaging waste consists of single-use plastic food packaging, a hallmark of throwaway culture.
What are the effects of packaging? ›
Your brand's packaging should convey its values, objectives, and unique selling characteristics. Packaging may help your business stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impact on buyers. Also, proper packaging may increase the perceived worth of your goods and impact a customer's purchasing choice.
Why is packaging bad for the environment? ›
All forms of packaging require a certain amount of resources and energy to manufacture. Manufacturing can, and most likely will, emit greenhouse gases harmful to our air, produce harmful heavy metal particulates or dump toxic waste sludge into our waters.
What are the disadvantages and advantages of plastic packaging? ›
The benefits of plastics: the production criteria are durable, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy and heavy chemicals and are lightweight. Disadvantages of using plastics are, they pollute our environment. They pose a danger to wildlife.
