Plastic Tube Packaging was Created for Responsible Waste Management

The manufacturers of plastic tube packaging knew their products would become popular from the moment they were designed. They would become popular with their product manufacturing customers because of how inexpensive and adaptable they were. And they would become popular with consumers for how useful and portable they were. 

But packaging manufacturers, particularly manufacturers who work with plastics, tend to think of their products in terms of their complete life-cycles. They care about the earth as much as everyone else. 

Consumers Need to Learn About the Plastic Life-cycle

When a person throws away a plastic container or package once they're done with it, that person breaks the chain and disrupts what should have been the most logical and safest life-cycle for that article of plastic in the natural world. 

Plastic needs to be recyclable and recoverable to be a sustainable material. Every chemist who has ever worked with plastics knows that this goal can be easily achieved with a little effort from consumers. 

But some product manufacturers and consumers haven't learned their lessons about life-cycles. They don't connect their habits in the disposal of plastics with the bigger picture of conserving the planet. And this is creating a problem.  

Recently, there was an alarming paper released by Environment International. It reported that scientists had detected microplastics in the blood of 17 out of 22 participants in a study into the effects of pollution on the human body. The study was undertaken in the Netherlands, but the problem is worldwide. 

Many years ago, cities across the world instituted a system of recycling that changed the way a lot of people disposed of their trash. Instead of throwing everything into one bin, trash was separated by material. Many people at the time thought the problem was beginning to be controlled and that the use of plastics would soon be a sustainable practice. But sadly, this wasn't the case.

Refocusing on the Consequences of Pollution

Governments around the world need to make another concerted effort to educate their citizens on the consequences of pollution and the simple steps consumers can take to avoid a worst-case scenario.  

For years, packaging manufacturers have kept governments, consumers, and their own customers informed of the materials used in their products and how they should be recycled to get the most use out of them. 

Now, governments, public service organisations, and environmental groups need to inform consumers about the life-cycle concept and the need to keep recycling plastic material for as long as possible. 

Benefits of Maintaining the Life-cycle of Plastics

The benefits of the proper disposal of plastic products will be small in some regards but immense in others. Once you get in the habit of checking what material a plastic product is made from and sorting it properly, it becomes second nature, just like separating cans, bottles, and paper products became over the years. 

Hopefully, the earth will benefit from the massive improvement in how the world disposes of plastic waste. Beaches won't be littered with plastic waste, fish and marine mammals won't be ingesting it, and it will stop showing up in the human body.

Plastic products may even get a bit less expensive to buy as more recycled material is used in the manufacturing process.  

It Starts with the Consumer

Getting in the habit of properly recycling plastic products starts with the consumer. The successful recycling programmes of the past relied on government mandates. Once they were up and running, people saw the financial incentives of recycling as another side benefit. Today the most successful recycling programmes work because of a combination of monetary gain and altruism. 

The recycling programmes of the present and future will rely on people equating the planet's survival with the survival of their children and grandchildren.

Good Example Set by Victor Packaging

Victor Packaging, based in Thailand, is one of the leading progressive plastic tube packaging manufacturers in the packaging industry. They’re active in reducing their company's carbon footprint and improving their products to be completely recyclable. 

They embarked on a complete redesign and retooling of the machines and processes in their six manufacturing facilities. By 2021, they had replaced nearly 30% of their equipment. The project will be completed by 2023, at which point they plan to be 70% more power-efficient than they are at present. 

They are also increasing the amount of post-consumer resins (PCRs) in their tube packaging with the goal of having these PCR tubes satisfy world standards and become a part of a growing number of completely recycled products. Currently, the resins they use are in compliance with the EU, US FDA, and Japan's JHOSPA standard for food contact applications. 

Partnering with a forward-thinking company like Victor Packaging can reap dividends for your brand. Why not get in touch with Victor Packaging and see what they can offer your brand?