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| In the 1980s and 1990s, businesses were not too concerned with being good stewards of the environment. As the green movement continues to gain momentum, most businesses are now onboard and have mandated environmentally friendly policies like using biodegradable packaging and biodegradable plastic bags. Companies are also choosing to buy biodegradable plastic made from corn and sugar cane, which are not only biodegradable, but recent studies now show they give off far less greenhouse gas emissions. Individuals that choose to go green and be good environmental stewards make an impact on the environment, but when companies get onboard with green policies the impact is tremendous. With landfills at capacity and our oceans being overtaken with plastic, biodegradable packaging such as biodegradable plastic bags, containers, and silverware are becoming important environmental players. When companies choose to buy biodegradable plastic from manufacturers, the responsibility is not put on the consumer to choose biodegradable packaging. Say that Walmart chooses to use biodegradable plastic bags for their millions of customers. They have just made a choice that has a huge effect on the environment. A study conducted at the University of Hawaii has shown that biodegradable packaging gives off 0.27 to 0.49 pounds of carbon dioxide for every pound of plastic compared to 2 to 3 pounds of carbon dioxide that is given off by every pound of conventional plastic. This groundbreaking study shows that green benefits may be even more far reaching than initially thought. More studies are now being conducted at University of Hawaii to further expand on initial findings. |
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