Today, especially since the middle of the 20th century, global warming is much faster than ever and cannot be explained solely by natural causes. According to NASA, "these natural causes are still in play today, but their impact is too small or too slow to explain the rapid warming of recent decades." Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity are the main cause of rapid climate change on earth. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas to generate electricity, heat, and transportation is the main source of man-made emissions. A second major source is deforestation, which releases bound (or stored) carbon into the air. Activities such as agriculture and road construction can also change the reflectivity of the earth's surface and cause local warming or cooling. Although our planet's forests and oceans absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and other processes, these natural carbon sinks cannot keep up with our increasing emissions. The resulting build-up of greenhouse gases is causing alarming and rapid global warming. The earth's average temperature is estimated to have increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the 20th century. If that doesn't sound like much, consider this: When the last Ice Age ended and the northeastern United States was covered in over 3,000 feet of ice, average temperatures were only 5 to 9 degrees cooler than they are today.
What is green packaging?
Green packaging, also called sustainable packaging, uses materials and manufacturing techniques to reduce energy consumption and the harmful effects of packaging on the environment. Green packaging solutions often contain biodegradable and recyclable materials rather than materials like plastic and Styrofoam. And green manufacturing practices are taking steps to reduce their electricity production and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they cause.
What is its role in going green?
Plastic packaging in particular is known to be harmful to marine life. According to the nonprofit Plastic Oceans International, more than 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year. As a result of this debris, biologists have found one of three species of marine mammals entangled in marine plastic, and they have found a staggering 90% of all seabirds with pieces of plastic in their stomachs. Using alternative packaging sources helps alleviate these unfortunate conditions.
If changing the entire packaging material is difficult due to its demerits, making even small changes as Carlsberg Breweries did, can make a huge impact. Carlsberg, in the year 2018, took a very important yet minimal step towards sustainability. Instead of using a shrink wrap or using plastic packaging for its six-pack, it decided to stick it with glue.
For more articles on food Marketing, agrotech, and technology related to the Indian food industry, check out FMTmagazine. FMT Magazine is an edition of the German publication. It is a comprehensive food and beverage magazine that connects the buyers and the sellers through content that is of international quality. The magazine over the entire spectrum of the food industry including content on policies. FMT Magazine stands for Food Marketing & Technology Magazine. The magazine carries articles on ingredients, processing, packaging, food safety, and marketing, along with interviews with top personalities in the Indian food industry.
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