Manufacturer: Stop Overusing Plastic Package, Stop Making Ecological Footprints

      Today, we can see that plastic is everywhere in our daily life. When we go to a supermarket, we can easily notice thousands of over-packaged products. Most fruit and vegetables are packed in glossy plastic boxes. Attractive plastic package unnecessarily cover around various small products. Although plastic material makes our life more convenient, the overuse of package not only harms to environment, but also threatens to our health. Manufacturers should assume relatively more responsibility to minimize the consumption of plastic package.

       What is the impact of overusing plastic package? The production of plastic material is the greatest contributor of greenhouse gases emission in the world. It is a fact that plastic does not biodegrade. It leaves us an unsolved question, that is, where these plastic ends up? Some people think it is okay to use plastic now because it can be recycled or disposed by new technology, but the truth is; only 7% plastic of daily use is recycled. The rest 93% goes to landfill sites, which can take 450 years to be decomposed! The 93% plastic wastes contaminate soil and water system, which can cause enormous troubles to human beings and wild life. More seriously, Pacific Ocean now is called the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” and the plastic wastes take 86% of all trash in the ocean. Plastic fragments can enter the body of marine life, which poisoned their digestive system. Toxins accumulate within food chain. Human beings are also a part of the consumer in food chain, so the poison may also enter in human bodies. Tough plastic pieces can hurt and kill marine creatures as well as cause them hard to breath. Over 1,000,000 creatures died such as sea birds and marine mammals due to these plastics. Till now, we do not have a perfect plan to dispose these plastics, but what else can we do?

       To reduce the pollution of plastic, as a consumer, the only way we can do is to minimize the usage of plastic. However, over-packaged products are flooding in supermarket today. It is hard for consumers to boycott over-packaged products. Who leads to this dilemma to the consumer?  It’s manufacturers! It is the manufacturer’s duty to take off excess packages. There is no loss of earnings caused if manufacturers cut down packages. A finely-crafted package notably promotes the price of the product, which causes an extra cost to both buyers and sellers. If manufacturers can simplify package, both their cost and the price of products will be decreased. Consumers are able to spend less on living expenses. Meantime, manufacturers can even gain more profits because now the masses are more willing to choose a product made by the corporation which supports social responsibility. For example, from the 2008 recession, Starbucks decided to conduct a series of ethical improvements on sourcing of coffee and cutting down the pollution created by coffee houses. By supporting social responsibility, Starbucks got a better reputation and became more popular all over the world. Accordingly, there is no doubt that it is a win-win situation for manufacturers to minimize the ecological footprint.

      In conclusion, subtracting unnecessary packages is to tackle the unsolved problem at its source. More significantly, it is a more effective way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and control global warming than only depending on individuals to take powerless actions.

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