How to reduce packaging: 10 tips

Packaging, according to official data from the European Commission, accounts for 36 percent of all municipal solid waste. Paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, wood, and metal: all recyclable materials, at least on paper, but which we often see on streets, sidewalks, in gardens, and in landfills. The trend toward packaging, also due to the boom in online shopping, shows no signs of abating: each European citizen produces, on average, 189 kilograms of packaging per year, a 20 percent increase compared to 2015. Too much, and with enormous waste.

Before the possibility of recycling packaging, something we can also do at home And independently, the time has come to try to reduce them, also because the bad habit of wrapping everything, including what doesn't need wrapping, and often doing so with unnecessarily bulky packages, is spreading. Let's see some useful advice to substantially reduce this type of waste.

Index of topics

Eliminate plastic bottles

Every year in Italy, over 12 billion liters of water are bottled, making us the third-largest country in the world for this type of consumption. Absurd. To eliminate it, just check the potability of water from your tap, or get stocked up at the water houses which are multiplying throughout Italy. You'll save a lot.

Products on tap

When you go shopping, especially in supermarkets or hypermarkets, look for the sections for on-tap purchases, without packaging. From pasta to detergents, from sugar to household products: you'll spend less and won't come home bloated with plastic.

Empty returnable

In this case, you won't have to worry about disposing of it. It's an ideal system for recycling and reuse: a glass bottle can be reused 40 times, and a PET bottle, over 20 times.

Solidarity purchasing groups

In your city, and even better, in your neighborhood, there's surely a Solidarity Purchasing Group (SPG). Together with other consumers, you can get better prices on products, get them locally sourced, fresh, and with less packaging. It's a grocery simple and effective.

Avoid the packaging at the counter

That letter, that plastic, those containers, are heavy and make you pay for them. Avoid single-serving packs too: a crafty one waste of money and packaging.

DIY products

There are many products that we can make at home, both for cooking and for household expenses. detergents and household products. Three advantages: we save money, we have the safety of natural products, and we don't use polluting packaging.

When to change shops

Avoid stores where you buy products with excessive packaging. This sends a signal that you are a responsible consumer. This is even more true if they are stores that present themselves with thebio label. In general, Change shops if you see that yours uses too much packaging And always try to favor small neighborhood markets. They're also more affordable.

Recycled material

Make your own packaging using recycled materials and opt for products with returnable containers. Waste will decrease, for everyone.

Shopping with the bag

Always choose grandma's classic bag from home. It will allow you to carry unpackaged products home conveniently and easily.

Three Rs

The rule of the three Rs must be engraved in your head: it is useful first of all to eliminate packaging unnecessary.

How to reduce waste

Reducing packaging is one piece of a larger puzzle: the marked reduction in waste. All wasteWe produce too much of it, everywhere. For example, 713 kilos per capita per year in Catania and 587 kilos in Rome. These figures are well above the European average. Here you find some useful tips for reducing waste production.

What can packaging manufacturers do?

Even packaging producers can do some very useful things to avoid the chain of waste associated with their excessive use. For example:

Optimize the designPackaging must be designed to use as little material as possible without compromising product protection. This may include adopting more compact shapes and using lightweight materials.
Modular packaging: create packaging that can be easily adapted to the dimensions of the product, avoiding empty spaces that would require more material.
Reusable packaging: promote the use of reusable containers (e.g. cloth bags, reusable bottles) rather than single-use ones.
Biodegradable materials: replace plastic materials with biodegradable or compostable ones, such as bioplastic, paper, cardboard or materials seaweed-based.

How can packaging be reduced?