Plastic Packaging Materials Explained

The market for plastic packaging materials has grownMcDonald's, plastic packaging containers are now used
substantially in the last decade and by the end ofin a lot of high class restaurants for takeaways such
2009 was estimated to be worth $16 billion dollars.as Wagamamma's.
Even conservative observers estimate that theThe social cost
market will grow to over $20 million in 4 years orAlthough cost of plastic packing materials to
more.businesses has fallen in recent years, many argue
Why the sudden growth?that the cost to the environment has increased.
There are many reasons why the plastics market hasLitter is now become a problem in towns and cities
grown and will continue to grow for the foreseeablethroughout most industrially mature countries. The
future. One of the more prevalent is the rise of thecosts incurred with cleaning up this mess is estimated
internet shopping, which has fuelled a large proportionto run into the billions throughout the world and
of growth.seems likely it will increase if the current growth in
The manufacturing of the materials used in this typeplastic packing continues. Animals often take the
of packaging has improved exponentially in the lastbrunt of the litter. Fish can get tangled up in it and
decade. Most factories can now produce two ordie, or die from the pollutants caused by plastics
three times as much as they were once able, in partentering their ecosystem.
due the spread of Japanese business philosophiesThe pollutants produced through the creation of
such as MUDA. As simple supply and demandplastic packaging materials also come under attack.
economics dictates, this vast increase in productionThe production process requires the burning of vast
capability has lead to downward pressure on theamounts of chemicals at high heats, some of which
price of plastic packaging materials.evaporate into the atmosphere and return as acid
The boom of fast food eateries up and down therain. As most of the production tends to happen in
country has also contributed for an increase in3rd world countries, procedure can be quite lax and
demand for plastic materials. Once only theregulations often ignored if it makes financial sense to
associated with lower class establishments such asdo so.