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.
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.
Find out more:
- New global alliance commits over $1.0 billion USD to help end plasti c waste in the environment; sets goal of investing $1.5 billion USD
- The World Plastics Council talk about sustainable global solutions for plastic waste management (Nov. 2018) (Nov. 2018)
- Together we must save our oceans from litter - PolyTalk 2018, 26-27 April, Malta
- Energy Bag program for hard-to-recycle plastics
- Plastics and effective waste management
- Reducing energy impacts with plastics
- Preventing and managing land and marine-based liter