As we enter the second decade of The New Millennium, environmental issues have been making headlines across the world. Most recently the catastrophic fires in Australia are front and center, reminiscent of California’s Camp Fire. Its citizens are calling for action on climate change while its government seems to have its head in the sand.
The world is waking up but nowhere more than in Australia. Founded in 1999, the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has been taking a lead position in the world by engaging and certifying companies that accept their challenge to reduce packaging waste. You can read about this dynamic group by visiting their website.
The majority of today’s consumers are beginning to realize how their individual carbon footprints affect the world. Recycling Track Services’ (RTS) release of The State of Recycling Today cites research from Euromonitor indicating that more than half of US consumers consider the societal impact of the products they buy when making purchasing decisions. For example, people may only use one plastic straw; but with seven billion people worldwide using plastic straws, the environmental impact on the world is hugely detrimental.
In other words, the actions taken by individuals may seem insignificant, but by working together we can make 2020 the Decade of Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.
We wish all of you a joyous New Year and challenge you to think of ways to reduce packaging waste in your own company.