Recycling 101: Packaging Rethinking

“In April 2018, Commonwealth, state and territory environment ministers agreed to reduce the amount of waste generated in Australia, and increase our recycling efforts. All Australian governments have also committed to update the National Waste Policy and to work together to better manage waste.”~ National Waste Policy When you put out the recycling bin, do you ever stop to consider where your rubbish ends up? Would you be shocked to learn that the answer [in some cases] is China? With China’s ban on foreign waste products, we have to create better eco-friendly solutions. Reduce.  Reuse. Recycle. We're pretty sure you’ve seen or heard this famous three R's aphorism everywhere. We must conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy. Plus, the three R's save land and money communities must use to dispose of waste in landfills. Why is it so important and relevant? It's all of our responsibilities to help cut down the amount of waste we throw away, so... Let's go back to basics: REDUCE the amount of waste production, energy consumption and harsh chemicals to promote a healthy environment:

• Unplug devices not in use.
• Turn off lights when they are not in use.
• Use concentrated eco friendly cleaning products.
• Take shorter showers and save water.

REUSE or repurpose an item rather than discarding it right away.

• Repurpose an item that no longer serve its original purpose. For example: using grocery store plastic bags as trash bags or repurposing or recycling your Euca containers.
• Garage sales allow your "trash" to turn into someone else's "treasure".
• Repairing damaged items.

RECYCLE: gather, remanufacture, and reuse materials instead of disposing of them to help conserve natural materials and energy that a company would otherwise use if they manufactured a new one. Recyclables include:

• Newspapers
• Aluminum cans
• Cardboards
• Paper
• Plastics
• Glass
• Magazines
• Steel cans

RETHINK  Now that we’re done with the basics, let us rethink “Packaging”. Product packaging serves plenty of purposes: protects the product, keeps the products safe from contamination, display product’s vital information, helps to easily dispense, reseal, preserve product, etc. However, packaging materials make up more than 40% of landfill waste. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastics than fish in the world’s oceans. Thankfully, more and more business owners like Euca are getting ahead of the competition and going Eco-Friendly with their packaging. As plastics and films get stronger, less of them are needed. Plastic bottles are now thinner and easier to crush for a smoother recycling process. As consumers become increasingly aware of our environmental footprints, they demand manufacturers get more creative with their eco-friendlier options. Thanks to social media and the digital era, we will never stop having access to updates about our environmental impact and the changes we can make. Businesses must rethink creative ways to keep products secure while using fewer unrecyclable materials. Euca, for example, uses biodegradable cornstarch in its cleaning product packaging! Read more here. What impact will we have if we rethink product packaging?

• Reduce the demand on our natural resources
• Reduce gas emission and energy use
• Prevent harm to our wildlife and marine wildlife when waste is discarded incorrectly
• Reduce pollution
• Eco-friendly packaging can be a low cost to business owners and consumers

Now that we understand what and why, here’s how. Every small change in your day to day behaviours can have a huge impact. Try some of these small ways to be part of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle community:

• Recycle correctly and encourage others to do so.
• Support companies that uses recycled and recyclable products and packaging.
• Avoid single-use (disposable) items.
• Bring your own packaging, containers, grocery bags or metal straws.
• Do not discard an item right away. If it can be fixed, fix it.

Want to find out more about Euca’s eco-friendly packaging? Learn how it is possible that we can use cornstarch in our packaging here. Be part of the Recycling Community here in Australia – choose Euca for all of your Household Cleaning and Laundry Cleaning needs. Shop the Euca Eco-Friendly Product range here.