Should Plastic Be Banished from Supermarkets and Supply Chains or Does It Still Have A Role to Play?

There is a lot of controversy that surrounds the world of plastic. This highly versatile material has been linked to pollution, health problems, and environmental destruction, so why do we still use it? Well, even though this material can be damaging to our environment, it is strong, waterproof and is available in many forms, making it extremely versatile and useful in the supermarkets and supply chains, but is its role really that relevant in today’s society? If you want to know the answer to these questions, then please continue. 

​Why is it Used in Supermarkets? 

Supermarkets use plastic for a lot of items, including packaging for food, toys, cleaning products, beauty products, and many other items. They also offer customers plastic bags to carry their shopping. When it comes to harmful plastics, single-use plastics are to blame. These are classed as plastics that only have one role or purpose, so only get one use and cannot be recycled afterward. Many supermarkets are trying to discourage the use of single-use plastics, but the customers play a huge role in reducing the need for it. 

​Why is it Used in the Supply Chain? 

Every supply chain relies on plastic for packaging. It is strong, easy to use, keeps items safe, keeps food fresh, and it is hygienic. Without plastic, the supply chain could struggle to deliver high-quality, clean goods. Plastic pallets for sale are available at Reusable Transport Packaging. These have become a popular choice in the supply chain. They are more sustainable, they can be reused, and they have long term value compared to wooden pallets. They are also cleaner and less likely to break due to their strength. As mentioned above, single-use plastics cause damage, making plastic pallets useful in the supply chain.

​What About Alternatives? 

Fortunately, there are many alternatives to single-use plastic out there. Depending on their use, they can cost more to produce, which puts companies off using them for their products (in order to maximize profits). Alternatives (to name a few) include plant-based plastics, mushroom root, bagasse, shower friendly paper, stone paper and plastic, palm leaves, cornstarch and sorghum loose-fill, edible six-pack rings, metalized paper, and wood pulp cellophane. All these alternatives can be just as good as plastic, but they have the advantage of being kinder to the environment and biodegradable. 

​Can All Plastic Be Replaced? 

The answer is probably not. Although there are great alternatives for the damaging single-use plastics, products that have already been produced and can be reused and recycled don’t really need to be replaced. Once production has been carried out, they won’t really affect the environment (as long as they aren’t disposed of) and in some cases, they could actually be more sustainable than biodegradable materials. The key to causing minimum environmental damage when using plastics is to recycle and reuse where possible and to try and avoid single-use plastics.
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To summarize, there are still uses for plastic in supermarkets and supply chains, but our overall plastic use could be reduced. There are alternatives out there and there are reusable plastics too. We just need to be more environmentally aware and cut down usage where possible. 

About the author

Author: Justin Bean.
Justin is the Business Development and Sales Manager at Reusable Transport Packaging. RTP is an environmentally friendly reseller, distributor and manufacturer of a range of reusable packaging products.