Radwell International’s Blog

Even before the big focus on the environment, it was common for the packaging industry to get a bad rap. Using non-recyclable materials, using too many materials or using single use plastics all have a negative effect on the environment and presented the packaging industry in an unflattering light.

Packaging is so prevalent in everyday life in today’s world that it has put the focus on sustainable packaging. But what makes packaging sustainable? In a recent chat for USA Manufacturing Hour on Twitter, Nathan Dube of Industrial Packaging in Massachussetts led a discussion about sustainable packaging.

Recycling has been around for centuries. The first known use of recycled paper dates to 9^th century Japan, when the Japanese government ordered that all paper waste be re-pulped and reused to make new paper. Recycling became popular in the United States during World War II, when tens of thousands of tons of material was recycled to create tanks, guns, ammunition and other war supplies. According to the EPA, from 2005 to 2015, there was a 53.3 million ton increase in recyclable materials recovered from the U.S. municipal solid waste stream.

Recycling is a broad word for a complicated process. Under recycling there are three subcategories: upcycling, downcycling and asset recovery. Read on to learn the differences between these kinds of recycling and how they are transforming industries.

For many manufacturers, the prospect of moving towards eco-friendly solutions and innovations such as renewable energy is very much front of mind; however, actually implementing the necessary changes is easier said than done. Luckily, as technology develops, and the appetite for carbon neutrality increases around the globe, there are many options for saving not only the bottom line, but the environment.