Plastic pollution is a big problem for the environment, mainly for our oceans, contributing to climate change and threatening wildlife conservation (Source: Greenpeace, 2019).
Packaging accounts for 42% of the plastic use, according to a recent study of Science Advance magazine. Plastic is widely used in packaging because it works well protecting food from pressure, humidity, light and bacteria helping its long journey transportation, also it is widely available and cheap. However, it is made from non- renewables resources and in most of the cases, after a single use, ends up in the landfills and the ocean (Source: National Geographic, 2019).
Scientists estimate that eight million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year, equivalent to a garbage truck full of plastic dumping plastic into the Oceans every minute. If we do not do anything about it, in less than 10 years it is predicted that there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish, according to the Ocean Conservatory. The consequences will be devastated not only for the environment and the ocean, but also for wildlife and humans (Source: The Independent, 2017).
Even though there is a more conscientious concerted effort to focus on recycling; it does not solve the problem. From 78 million metric tons of plastic packaging produced globally each year, only 14 percent is recycled. Therefore, the demand of packaging alternatives is increasing and more brands and supermarkets are looking for a more environmentally friendly way of packaging their products (Source: BBC News, 2019).
Pacari Chocolate, being true to its principle of sustainability and respect for the environment is doing its bit to solve this problem. In this sense, we are replacing the chocolate bars plastic wraps, that will take 500 years to degrade, for a material made from vegetable cellulose that degrade in 180 days (Source: El Telegrafo, 2019).
The new packaging has been already implemented to our 50g chocolates bars and it will be implemented gradually to all the products.
Also here in the UK, at Pacari Chocolates UK & Ireland, we are doing our bit and we are delighted to announce that we converted all our postal packaging to environmentally friendly materials. No more bubble wrap on our boxes or envelopes, no more protection that is made from plastic, no more plastic air bags. We decided at the end of 2018 to start trying different materials to use on our packaging, so that we could achieve our goals of eliminating plastic from our postal materials, by May 2019 we managed to send all order in plastic free and environmental friendly packages. All this is in line with Pacari Chocolates ethos and values and the desire to our part in reducing the plastic that is harming our planet. Read more about here https://bit.ly/39U3oEx
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”. - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anon, (2020). [online] Available at: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/pacari-fundas-biodegradables
BBC News. (2020). Plastic packaging: How are supermarkets doing?. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49674153.
Greenpeace UK. (2020). Plastic Pollution | Greenpeace UK. [online] Available at: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/plastic-pollution/ .
Nationalgeographic.com. (2020). Eat your food, and the package too. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-food/food-packaging-plastics-recycle-solutions/.
Pacari Chocolates UK. (2020). Single Region / Origin Plain Chocolate Bars. [online] Available at: https://home.pacarichocolates.uk/collections/single-origin-organic-chocolate-bars.
Spencer, E. (2020). Blog - Ocean Conservancy. [online] Ocean Conservancy. Available at: https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/.
The Independent. (2020). This is how much plastic is in the ocean. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/plastic-bad-environment-why-ocean-pollution-how-much-single-use-facts-recycling-a8309311.html
Pacari Chocolates UK (2019). Pacari Chocolates and Ireland postal packaging now recyclable, compostable and plastic free. Available at: https://home.pacarichocolates.uk/blogs/news/recyclable-compostable-plastic-free-postal-packaging-from-pacari-chocolates-uk-ireland
Author : Thanks to Johana Mora Solorzano
Photo source: Thanks to John Cameron on Unsplash