Why Environmentally Friendly Production is the Future
Why Environmentally Friendly Production is the Future
Manufacturing is an important part of the world’s economy and therefore affects its ecological balance. It is a well-known fact that large-scale mining of raw materials, unsustainable energy use, and waste generation are harmful to our planet. But to reverse these developments is no longer enough to achieve sustainable production.
That’s why we have set the goal of supporting the transition to an eco-friendly circular economy and green production. With EcoFriendlyPackaging, production becomes more sustainable, and products become more sustainable in the sense of a circular economy.
Eco-friendly production:
Points to note an important criterion for measuring the eco-friendliness of products is the origin and type of raw materials used. In a utopian and perfect economy, all the raw materials used are biodegradable, have time to grow, and are 100% sustainable. If this is not (yet) possible with your product, the raw material must be at least non-toxic. Pollutants pose an imminent danger to humans and nature, but they cannot be recycled.
For example, when recycling paper, the wastewater generated is classified as hazardous waste because it can be toxic to components such as printing inks, paints, and varnishes. If not, the water can simply be recycled.
Upcycling VS. Recycling
But what’s the difference between upcycling and recycling?
Traditional recycling often ends in downcycling due to the poor quality of new products, as not all components can be reused. Upcycling, on the other hand, means reusing everything and at least making something as good as the original product. Therefore, upcycling is an important part of the circular economy. In a complete circular economy, all materials are reused without waste. For example, wood is not burned after it is first used, but it is processed into new wood products. Sustainable use of trees is possible only if such a process takes place, as trees take time to grow. And like paper, wood is easy to recycle if it is not contaminated with toxins.
In addition to raw materials, their sustainability, and the circular economy, energy is another decisive factor for environmentally friendly production. If you succeed in getting energy for production from sustainable resources, you have already taken a big step in the right direction. Standardised labels from independent institutions are essential because so many aspects affect the ecological balance of a product. You can only prove value to your customers by labelling the product and verifying its sustainability of the product.