ENERGY-SMART PACKAGING

Introduction

Packaging plays a significant role in protecting products in preserving foodstuffs from transit and physical damage, microbial and bacterial deterioration as well as climatic hazards. Rapid urbanisation, the advent of e-commerce, and the increasing middle classes in developing countries are expected to propel the global packaging sector to a $1 trillion market by 2024.

Food Packaging Materials and Uses

Almost majority of food that we buy is packaged, especially processed food. Now-a-days, It is difficult to locate food that isn’t artificially encased, whether it’s from a grocery store or market, a fast-food restaurant, or an online meal delivery service.

Advancement in food packaging has facilitated the development of various kinds of packaging materials. However, most of the packaging applications are made from a variety of degradable materials like ceramics, paper, paperboard, and cardboard, wax, glass, metal, wood and plastics. Paper and paperboard, hard plastic, and glass make up the majority of food packaging. The basic types of materials used in packaging of food products — whether paper, plastic, metal, fiber or glass — determine the ecological and carbon footprints of the industry.  The food packaging industry is now in pursuit of biodegradable packaging that is not detrimental to economic and environmental health.

Let us take the case of food packaging, the packaging industry’s largest area of activity.

The Trouble with Food Packaging

The problem with food packaging starts at its creation stage. Various resources, such as energy, water, chemicals, petroleum, minerals, wood, and textiles, are required for each type of packaging. Its production frequently emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere along with, heavy metals, as well as wastewater and/or sludge containing toxic contaminants. Despite accounting for only a small portion of a country’s GDP, the packaging industry is acutely aware of its impact on the planet’s future.

The impact of Solar Energy on packaging

What does this mean for the packaging industry as a whole? To begin with, it’s a good idea to examine the lifecycle that any particular package goes through and determine the stages at which energy is consumed. It becomes clear that practically every stage, including raw material extraction, production, disposal, and transportation, necessitates a certain quantity of energy. When you look closely, you’ll notice that energy is also consumed to grow the raw ingredients and construct the factories, trucks, trains, and boats that are necessary for any package to exist.

The Business Benefits Of Green Manufacturing of Packaging Products

Going about any big project comes with its share of various challenges and problems. But, the benefit of installing rooftop solar outweighs the issues associated with it. Companies such as PepsiCo have already made strides in using solar energy to power their manufacturing plants.

Renewable energy sources provide a number of advantages over traditional polluting fossil and nuclear energy sources. Solar energy, in particular, is a largely untapped resource with the potential to transform the way products and packaging are manufactured and distributed to customers around the world. Polycrystalline rooftop solar panels are used by the manufacturing plants. The utilisation of solar energy generated by the plants can help packaging companies to reduce carbon emissions by about 750 metric tonnes per year. This equates to roughly 50,000 trees being planted.

What is Driving More Sustainable Packaging?

Because packaging requires energy at numerous phases, solar has a strong chance of serving as a clean fuel source and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. With heightened government and consumer attention on environmental impact and sustainability, packaging firms are forced to rethink their responsibility for what they produce. There is an increased focus on positive society-wide benefits from two key drivers:

2) Regulation

As an energy intensive industry, the packaging sector contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle. Its manufacturing already tends to fall higher than the permitted level of emissions. Governments are therefore engaging more and more with the packaging industry.

4) Energy Efficiency

Application of Solar energy in the packaging sector can be used as a very energy efficient material. The substitution of plastic packaging industry by solar energy would in most cases decrease energy consumption and GHG emissions. Solar panels enable resource efficient packaging solutions, which result in significant savings of energy and GHG emissions. This is because solar energy allows for a large reduction in the functional unit’s energy usage.