Population growth and greater awareness of the need to reduce pollution in the environment have led to increased demand for Biodegradable Packaging but what exactly is Biodegradable Packaging and why is it better than using conventional packaging.
To be considered biodegradable, packaging has to be made from organic material. It must also be possible for the material to decompose without causing harm to the environment. In order to decompose the material has to allow microorganisms such as bacteria to do their work in processing waste material as they would with any other organic matter.
This may sound simple, however creating packaging from organic materials involves a different process to producing polythene bags for example. It can also be more expensive but the payback comes in the long term with less impact on the environment.
While eco friendly, biodegradable packaging may not be foremost in consumers’ minds, most will be aware and feel better about purchasing items when they come in packaging that doesn’t create lasting harm to the environment.
The Biodegradable Packaging market is expected to grow by 17.2% by 2022. The market is currently worth $4.7 billion and the outlook is for this to grow to $14.3 billion by 2022 due to a combination of a rising global population and more awareness of the need to protect the planet.