The Environmental Paradox: Plastic Beats Paper and Glass 1-0

We're living in an age of oversimplification, and the packaging industry isn't immune to it. Case in point?

plastic = pollution
paper/glass = sustainability

But once we move beyond marketing driven by economic interests and get past the superficial "social media" information, what do the scientific facts actually tell us?

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) studies reveal truths that perhaps not everyone expects:

• A cardboard box produces 6 times more CO2 than an equivalent plastic wrapper (Source: PAC WorldWide, 2024)
• Glass bottle production is up to 4 times more impactful on the environment compared to plastic (University of Southampton, study published in Detritus, 2021)
• In 2020, paper generated 32.7 million tons of waste in the EU – more than plastic and glass combined (European Environmental Bureau, 2024)

Why does this happen?

• Glass requires extremely high temperatures for production (energy-intensive)
• The greater weight of glass and paper dramatically increases transport emissions
• Paper requires three times the energy needed to produce the same amount of plastic

The point isn't to demonize a material, but to manage it correctly

Every material in the packaging sector has specific properties and performs well for certain functions. Plastics (and there are different types) are far more effective than other materials at protecting and preserving objects and food.

Plastic only becomes dangerous to the environment when it's disposed of inappropriately (thrown into the ocean), just as other objects (of any material) would be dangerous if not properly disposed of after use (glass, if thrown into the ocean, settles on the bottom and is unrecoverable).

When plastic is properly recycled, its environmental impact drops drastically. In Italy in 2018, separate waste collection prevented 34 million cubic meters of waste from ending up in landfills (Source: PLASTISAC, 2023).

True sustainability requires complete life cycle analysis, not emotional slogans.

We're committed to providing information, hoping that everyone will commit to understanding and acting accordingly.