Competence in Plastics - Brochure - BASF Plastics Portal

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Packaging –Thin layers
keep things fresh
about one-half of the food produced in developing
countries becomes spoiled, while in Europe only one
to two percent suffers this fate. modern packaging
keeps food hygienic and fresh, protects goods from
damage and provides consumers with important
Plastics account for 17 percent by weight of all packaging materials.
This might not sound like a lot, but roughly one-half of all commodities
are packaged in plastics. Plastics have so much to offer when used
as packaging. For example, a plastic bag weighs less than 10 grams,
but can be used to carry up to 10 kilograms! A polystyrene pot for 150
grams of yogurt weighs 5 grams, whereas a glass jar for the same
amount weighs 85 grams.
Combining low weight with high performance is the great strength of
plastic packaging. This means that plastics reduce the impact on the
environment in a variety of ways: Their manufacture consumes much
information. Plastics are particularly eco-efficient
when it comes to packaging. over the years, the
weight of packaging has been steadily reduced so
that more goods can be packaged with less plastic.
less energy than for conventional materials, and the costs, volume of
waste and greenhouse gas emissions are also much lower. And lighter
packaging also saves fuel during transport. It is therefore no surprise
that plastic packaging also looks good in ecobalance calculations. Back
in 1985, a study commissioned by the German Federal Environmental
Agency showed that the manufacture of a plastic carrier bag places a
smaller burden on the environment than the manufacture of a paper
carrier bag. Studies conducted for yogurt pots, polyethylene sleeves as
milk packaging and polyethylene bags for fruit came to similar conclusions.