SUSTAINABILITY
52 applications and preventing food waste and associated resource loss ( which is a significant contributor to climate change ); where possible , using paper is preferable as it ’ s a renewable raw material that can be responsibly sourced and widely recycled .
Life Cycle Assessments frequently deem paper bags to be less environmentally-friendly than plastic ones . It is true that the levels of energy and water consumption during the paper production process is higher , and high-density plastic shopping bags can perform better than low-quality paper bags in terms of durability and waste volume . However , paper can be easily recycled at scale – in fact , it is one of the most commonly recycled materials worldwide . A benefit of paper is that it can be compostable , unlike most other packaging materials .
There is a widespread misconception that fibre-based packaging is driving deforestation and contributing to wider environmental problems . However , responsibly managed forests protect trees by giving them a value so that the land is not deforested to make way for other uses .
“ Both paper and plastic packaging are necessary : one can ’ t wholly replace the other as they each have distinct advantages and uses ”
JANUARY 2020