1 minute read
Packaging
PACKAGING PERPLEXED ABOUT PACKAGING?
These days, just about all takeaway packaging products are “recyclable”, however only some products are biodegradable and compostable. So, what’s the difference and why is it important?
Recyclable: Recycling isn’t as simple as it should be. If a package is labelled recyclable, it means the packaging could be recycled if the material is clean and not contaminated with greases and oils, and if the local council/waste management contractor has processes in place to actually recycle the material.
Unfortunately, New Zealand recycles very few plastics, and it is now becoming more difficult to sell our recovered plastics overseas, with importers now placing huge reductions on the number of plastics allowed in their processing lines. Biodegradable: This means that the material will break down (degrade) faster by undertaking specific biological processes. “Bio” means that living organisms will increase the degradation of a material. Biodegradable materials are not always compostable, as some biodegradable plastics are still petroleum-based plastics and take hundreds of years to degrade.
Making petroleum-based plastics biodegradable does not make them a green option, it simply speeds up the decay and the plastic molecules just become smaller (and more dangerous) sooner than later. Petroleumbased plastics should be recycled and not designed to biodegrade. Compostable: This means that the material is made of organic matter, it will naturally biodegrade, and, in the right conditions, it can be converted into compost.
The length of time it takes for an organic material to break down depends on the conditions in place (temperature, moisture, air, pressure) and the material. This is all very difficult to accurately ascertain as the conditions vary so much. All plant-based products are biodegradable, and breakdown can take a few weeks to a few months.
Plant-based materials to look out for include kraft cardboard, sugar cane, bamboo, and plant starches – these naturally break down and can become compost in the right conditions. H
COMPOSTABLE FOOD PACKAGING
