Every day, we receive countless questions about whether the boxes sold by SUPERBOX are eco-friendly and whether eco-friendly boxes have a certificate to prove it. Customers often look for packaging made specifically from recycled cardboard, believing that by using such packaging they contribute better to the environment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We will try to explain everything to you in detail.

What is ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING?

Eco-friendly packaging means any packaging which is easy to recycle, which is safe for the environment and consumers and which is made of recycled materials. Please note that this wording applies to all types of packaging: paper, cardboard and corrugated cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, wood, etc.

We will tell you more about two types of packaging – cardboard and corrugated cardboard, since these are the materials used for SUPERBOX.

By the way, SUPERBOX boxes are made in Lithuania, which is also very important when it comes to the environmental impact of packaging. But let's take it one step at a time.

RECYCLING OF PACKAGING

One of the key aspects when it comes to all packaging, not just eco-friendly packaging, is where it travels after it fulfils its function or, in other words, becomes waste. Since cardboard and corrugated board packages are paper-based, they can (and should) be sorted into PAPER waste containers. It should be borne in mind, however, that although the packaging appears visually to be paper, not all of it should be disposed of in waste containers marked for PAPER.

Packaging is not suitable for recycling if it is covered with a thin layer of plastic (laminates). Different types and qualities of matt and glossy laminates cover the exterior of the packaging only to make it look more beautiful and create a more luxurious appearance. However, the beauty thus created is incompatible with sustainability, as plastic-coated cardboard cannot be recycled.

In some cases, a thin layer of plastic is applied to the inside of packaging to make it more resistant to grease and liquids. A good example is the white base of corrugated cardboard inside the cake packaging. It is white only because it is covered with a plastic film that prevents fat from the cake being absorbed into the inside of the cardboard.If a tray of corrugated cardboard had no plastic protection, it will turn into an unpleasant dark colour due to the absorption of grease.

If you care about the environment, you should refuse to both buy and produce laminate-coated packaging, as it is the ultimate environmental pollution!

Let's go back to the grease and fat.If the packaging has not been coated with a thin layer of plastic, but has been used to package food products, soy wax candles or similar products, and they have left grease stains, such packaging should also be disposed of in a household waste bin.

Read more about what kind of packaging can be sorted into PAPER waste containers here.

Although most secondary waste collectors allow corrugated cardboard packages to be disposed into PAPER containers, which are sealed with conventional adhesive tapes made of plastic, they will still have to be physically separated from the paper pulp at the subsequent stages of paper processing. Usually, this is done by dissolving the paper pulp in water and harvesting the strips or pieces of strips that remaining floating at the top. Unfortunately, sometimes the adhesive tape is so abundant on the packaging that this quantity can interfere with recycling. It should also be borne in mind that separation during recycling is a mechanical process in which materials are crushed and micro-detach from large pieces of strips. The self-adhesive plastic packaging tape can be replaced with paper tape easily. It would be environmentally friendly to abandon plastic adhesive tapes embossed with branded logos and instead simply print logos or other promotional messages on the carton.

Most paper-based packaging can be not only sorted but also composted. If the packaging is made of cardboard or corrugated cardboard, it can decompose naturally in nature within 180 days without leaving toxic substances behind. There is no doubt that such packaging is truly environmentally friendly. We will talk about composting packaging in the next article.

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