• Environmental Sustainability

How many of the things you use every day are more useful, more convenient, safer or better protected because of plastics?

From the package that keeps fresh food fresh to components in our toothbrushes, computers and automobiles, plastics add value to our lives. 

But the advantages and conveniences of using plastics comes with responsibility. That responsibility is all about sustainable practices and that’s what we want to talk about here.

Study from Trucost Finds Plastics Reduce Environmental Costs by Nearly 4 Times Compared to Alternatives (2016) >

So what do we mean by environmentally-sustainable practices for plastics?

A good example is our daily household and work routines, where we may sort a wide array of plastic materials – much of it packaging – for recycling. It’s a task that most Canadians do willingly to help ensure these natural resources are reinvested to produce new products and packaging rather than ending up wasted in landfill. 

At CPIA, recycling is one of a hierarchy of tools we promote to achieve sustainability for plastics.

Sustainably managed plastic waste:

  • Conserves primary natural resources
  • Reduces energy required to create new materials and greenhouse gas emissions 
  • Reuses items giving them longer life 
  • Cuts the cost of creating new materials
  • Creates jobs in the resource recovery industry, and 
  • Protects natural environments.

That’s what environmental sustainability is all about and it’s why CPIA is absolutely committed to it.  Check out CPIA's 2016 Sustainability Achievements Infographic.

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