Wrapping it up

One of the main sources of everyday waste is packaging. Not that packaging is useless. After all, it protects goods and often provides usefu...

One of the main sources of everyday waste is packaging. Not that packaging is useless. After all, it protects goods and often provides useful information about them. But many things come in layers and layers of unnecessary paper and plastic. The best way to reduce waste is to avoid these overpackaged goods. If you are interested in doing something more, then go to a nearby supermarket and conduct a survey there. First find out the variety in packaging of household goods and try to get answers for the following questions:

Why do you think so much packaging is needed?

What happens to the packaging when the products are opened?

Why do you think the packages are designed that way?

Does colour and brightness affect the choice of goods?
Sort out the packaged goods and classify them into types of packaging such as paper, plasic, metal or cardboard. Then identify the packaging which could be recycled or those goods which have unnecessary packaging on them. By doing this exercise, you will get a list of items that justifies packaging and others which are overpackaged. Use some reference books to investigate methods of packaging in the past. Which goods were sold without packaging? How were the goods transported safely to the home.

The collected data can be analysed and discussed among your friends, parents and teachers or you can make a poster with facts on packaging so that others could make up their own minds about the value of packaging. Try to think of ways of cutting down on packaging. Buy products in packaging made from recyclable materials. Complain about unnecessary packaging in restaurants or other places. If something is overpackaged, do not buy it. Avoid buying small, individual wrapped items.