Jun 16, 2021
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/peanut-turtle-still-alive-and-saving-worlds-oceans/
Peanut is a red eared slider whose story starts sometime before she was discovered in 1993 in Missouri. She had a six pack can plastic ring stuck around her shell. As she grew, her shell reached normal size in front and behind the ring but the plastic ring gave her a “peanut” shape. When she was found, the St. Louis Zoo removed the ring. Today, although she is living with some internal organ issues she is enjoying her time in the care of the Missouri Department of Conservation.
More than 82 million tons of packaging waste is produced every year. Consider this: roughly 1.9 million tons of packaging waste produces the same amount of greenhouse gas as 860,000 cars. WOW!
Thankfully, every year the percentage of waste that is recyclable or compostable is increasing. Many companies are continuing to look for new ways to package their product – everything from air pillows, mushroom and seaweed packaging to corrugated bubble wrap or biodegradable peanuts, to name a few.
When it comes to promotional products, there are so many ways to package your item in a sustainable way. Here are some ideas:
- When considering hang tags, go with FSC certified paper and string.
- Forgo the polybag and wrap your next promo t-shirt in a FSC certified paper belly band.
- If polybags are a must, go for the biodegradable version.
- Consider seeded paper – this is a great option for not only hang tags and belly bands, but it’s a perfect solution for envelopes, bags, pouches and boxes.
- Corrugated cardboard is one of the go-to solutions for packaging because it’s organic. Plus, a simple cardboard box is 80% biodegradable.
Small changes will make a huge impact on Mother Earth and her creatures.
P.S. If you do find yourself in possession of a plastic six pack ring, please remember to cut it up before disposal.