Paper or plastic? If you’re looking to invest in the packaging that’s best for the environment, the answer is… it’s complicated.
In fact, the opposite is true. That is, right up to the point at which a container has finished the task it was built to do. Read: Here’s the tiny percentage of plastic that’s recycled despite single-use bans, taxes and incentives Sustainable plastics innovation The globe spends $35 billion a year on plastic waste management. And with more than 20% annual growth, sustainable plastic innovation is a key market driver, according to business consultancy McKinsey.
Several companies are focusing on making it easier for consumers to recycle, like Texas-based startup Clear Drop, which is readying a kitchen appliance for market that molds plastic bags into bricks that sorters can easily handle. The Soft Plastic Compressor, or SPC, will only be available in areas where recyclers have been trained to identify and process the bricks.
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