Putting together the puzzle pieces of what it means to create authentically sustainable products and practices feels unattainable. Sustainability, defined as responsibly managing natural resources to serve our current needs while building long-term practices that do not jeopardize our environment’s needs, does not have a simple solution. It requires companies and manufacturers to ask questions such as, “Are our ‘eco-friendly’ values actually aligned with our actions?” or to conduct simpler investigations like, “Is paper actually better than plastic?” It also requires consumers to consider if what they see on a package label is the truth. Questions for consumers to think about might include, “Is a product’s packaging actually as ‘biodegradable’ as it claims to be?” or “What really happens after I throw away a compostable product compared to a single-use plastic?”
Greenwashing, or when companies market products as ‘eco-friendly’ without real environmental benefits, has misled society into believing we are making more progress on sustainability than we actually are. The lack of knowledge and misinformation conceals the truths behind what is legitimately environmentally “friendly.” This boosts the effectiveness of persuasive language plastered on all kinds of packaging and brand marketing, forcing us to see where we stand in reducing our environmental harm..
Moving away from single-use plastics is undeniably a significant step forward, but labeling a product as “eco-friendly” does not drive us towards the ‘ultimate’ sustainable solution. We must normalize sustainable, reusable practices and eliminate misconceptions about ‘false’ sustainability. One way we can educate ourselves is by looking into the greenwashing and manufacturing of the very products we utilize in our daily lives.
“Biodegradable”
Biodegradable products refer to materials that need to be broken down in an industrial composting facility under intense heat. Commonly found in food packaging and utensils, these products can reach their maximum positive impact only if disposed of correctly. Correct disposal requires companies and public services like restaurants that offer biodegradable products to send them directly to an industrial compost facility. These materials end up in the landfill when placed in a recycling bin, making it a better alternative only if it gets repurposed.
“Post-consumer waste”
Recycled and reused products derived from materials such as aluminum, cardboard boxes, paper, and plastic bottles fall under the category of “post-consumer waste.” Once placed into the recycling bin, they are locally shipped to recycling centers, sorted, and sold to companies to be reused. A melting process transforms the materials into small pellets than can be molded into new packaging. But like biodegradable products, they must be recycled or disposed of properly, and it all comes down to whether or not it is transported to an industrial composting facility.
“Compostable”
This requires the ability of a material to completely break down into compost without leaving behind any waste or toxic residue. This label has one of the most misinformation attached to it. For instance, compostable materials are not only made from paper, cardboard, or leftover food. It includes fibers, sugarcane, and engineered polymers or compostable plastic formulas that break down similarly to natural substances. Despite appearing to be the most effective, our world lacks a stable amount of composting facilities to allow these materials to undergo complete processes. These recycling processes would allow “compostable” materials to actually contribute to advancing sustainability.
“Plant-based”
These materials are made from either sugars, corn, bamboo, fibers, and more. However, these raw material based products are not the solution, at least not in a world with limited composting and reusing facilities. Not only do many of the crops grown use pesticides, but they utilize land that would otherwise be used to feed populations. Generally, “plant-based” materials are able to return to their initial state if under the right biodegradable environments. On the other hand, creating “plant-based” products requires more time and is not as affordable to be applied effectively long term.
“Paper-based”
The most common “paper-based” products are brown paper bags. They have emerged in places such as retail stores, shopping malls, and even hold our takeout orders. While paper bags are easier to recycle or compost, they require large quantities of water, chemicals, fuel, and deforestation. Despite their recyclable potential, the most effective solution is to instead reuse both plastic, paper, and fabric bags.
So is our current approach to sustainability effective?
Regardless of the amount of ‘eco-friendly’ products we produce, it comes down to how we dispose of what we consume and whether or not it gets recycled or composted correctly. Another truth is that most companies overpackage their goods regardless of how sustainable the packaging is. ‘Eco-friendly’ or not, manufacturing utilizes resources, chemicals, and machinery that might be even more harmful than producing plastics.
The solution lies in reusing what we have already produced. It lies in reusing paper or even plastic bags, opting for reusable water bottles, and minimizing over-packaging. Furthermore, if we are to continue our current manufacturing system, we must establish and utilize more recyclable facilities. Most importantly, we must educate people on how to dispose of items correctly. Environmental crises, sustainability, and the power that comes from reusability are topics that are repeated so often that they tend to go overlooked or uncared for. Simply accepting greenwashing as the answer will push our world farther away from making progress towards a more sustainable future.
