| By :
Eva Judge
It is all too easy to assume that food packaging suppliers create a ton of the waste that goes into Australian landfills each year. However, the industry relies heavily on paper and cardboard, which are both recycled at very appreciable degrees. Paper And Cardboard Use In Australia - Each Australian should understand the impact that packaging materials make in our daily lives. As a data point, between the years 2002 and 2003 Australians used approximately 4 million tonnes of the materials. Incredibly, that number is a 10.2% increase over the previous year which reflects the steady rise in popularity of these materials. How Much Of Those Materials Is Recycled? When presented with the huge numbers outlined above, many people are quick to assume that most of it ends up as waste. The truth is, though, that about 1.9 million tonnes of that cardboard and paper waste is collected for recycling. That is a very significant percentage and demonstrates how useful those materials are in terms of being reused. Furthermore, the vast majority of that recycled material was made up of packaging materials. It is clear that the industry does a lot to reduce, reuse and recycle. Creating New Packaging Materials From Old Products - After being recycled, where does most of that material go? It is important to note that approximately 83% of all recycled paper and cardboard materials are used to created packaging supplies of various sorts. This fact closes the loop and clearly outlines the interesting way that the packaging industry does its own part to help save the planet. Rather than relying on brand new paper and cardboard from freshly felled trees, the packaging industry makes a concerted effort to rely mostly on recycled materials. How Much Does That Recycling Help? When looking at all of these numbers, it can be difficult to put the benefits for the planet into perspective. For every one tonne of recycled cardboard or paper: => 31,780 litres of water are saved
=> 4100 KwH of electricity is saved
=> 13 trees are left standing
=> 4 cubic metres of landfill aren't built
=> 2.5 barrels of oil aren't used As you can see, the packaging industry does a whole lot when it comes to recycling and reusing paper and cardboard materials. In this way, it has a direct - and positive - impact on the health of Australia and the world.
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