We produce over 300 million tons of plastic every year with approximately 50% of it for single-use purposes. Our society has developed a disposable lifestyle; combine this with a nearly indestructible material and we have a very serious problem in our hands.

The world has become addicted to the use of plastic and it’s easy to see why. It’s easily accessible and readily available to be made into packaging solutions compared to alternatives such as paper. It’s also very strong, able to withstand higher loads, tear resistant and waterproof. The list of benefits goes on. The problem is that, unlike paper, plastic doesn’t disappear back into the ground quickly. In fact, it’s a very slow process.

A single use plastic bag might only be used for mere minutes but it can take hundreds of years to break down naturally. This leaves us with mountains of waste that is not only ugly but toxic for the environment. Not to mention the 8 million tons of plastic that gets thrown into the ocean each year; toxicating our oceans and killing precious wildlife.

You’ve probably heard of the three R’s: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. You’ve also probably heard all about the responsible disposing of plastics which are great! We encourage not just our customers but everyone to practice the responsible disposal of plastics and also reduce their usage of it. However, the fact of the matter is that plastic packaging is incredibly useful and we rely on it daily.

That’s where a fourth ‘R’ comes in. At GreenMaster Packaging we encourage our customers to REPLACE their traditional polyethylene packaging solutions with our compostable or water-soluble solutions. By choosing these options, you’ll be encouraging the wider and mainstream adoption of greener, more sustainable packaging solutions which we believe, is the future.

“What’s is going to cost me?”, you might ask. You’d be right to think that going with our compostable and water-soluble packaging will cost more than traditional polyethylene and you’d be right. Whilst the upfront cost of choosing these solutions will be higher, we urge our customers to also consider the cost of irresponsibly disposed plastics when choosing which material to go with.

It can cost around 50 cents to clean up just one plastic bag on the street, more if it’s in the ocean. That doesn’t include the cost of the damage it would’ve done to the environment prior to being picked up! When you put that into perspective, paying more now, for a greener solution will be far cheaper compared to the long-term consequences of plastic waste.