Through the gradual integration of Woodly® product into the plastics circular economy, we can continue to reap the benefits of plastic as a versatile packaging material without the native impacts on our climate and the planet. So, if plastic is here to stay, what can we do?Ĭellulose based Woodly® plastic, actually has a negative global warming potential of -0.08kg. Finally, glass is heavy, much heavier than plastic, so transportation of the food packed in glass rather than plastic increases emissions substantially too.” In addition, the sorting of recycled glass is problematic resulting, on average in glass only being recycled one or two times. ![]() What about glass as an alternative packaging material? Tomi continues “the challenge with glass is that its manufacture from sand causes massive emissions. With plastic packaging you can seal the food completely, create an aseptic seal for the product and preserve the food for weeks or even months.” This means that using plastic packaging rather than paper can significantly reduce food waste which in turn has a positive impact on the environment and on climate change. The plan is being promoted by President Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, at the COP27 climate summit. Now a new scheme proposes devoting the proceeds to help developing nations end their use of fossil fuels. You can pack the food in paper, which is good for some food types, but paper has quite low barrier properties, doesn’t protect the food from moisture and the food easily dries out. Carbon credits allow companies to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions. It dries out, absorbs moisture, goes moldy etc. The MacKay Carbon Calculator provides a model of the UK energy system that allows you to explore pathways to decarbonisation, including net zero by 2050. A carbon footprint is an environmental indicator that represents the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs), expressed as CO2 equivalents, that are emitted directly. The problem is, if we stop using plastic, for example in packaging, then what do we use instead? According to Tomi, “in the case of food products, if you don’t pack food in packaging, it goes bad, usually quite quickly. This means that for every kilogram of fossil-based plastic produced, there is between 1.7 and 3.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide released.”īut, does that mean we should stop using plastic? ![]() Tomi continues by explaining that “ Typical fossil plastics have a global warming potential of between 1.7 and 3.5 kg of CO 2, depending on the type of plastic. The production of products always causes greenhouse gas emissions and these emissions constitute the carbon footprint of a product.” Tomi Nyman, Chief Commercial Officer of Woodly offers a more practical definition: “ The carbon footprint of a product or an activity is a measure of its impact on the carbon balance. Before answering this question regarding plastic, we need to define “a carbon footprint”.Īccording to Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is ”the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbon dioxide and methane, can be emitted through the burning of fossil fuels, land clearance and the production and consumption of food, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, transportation and other services.
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