TIMES RECORD • December 7, 2021
There are lots of definitions of sustainable packaging, and most of the literature is focused on how to make packages more attractive to a buyer, rather than how to make it better for the environment. Avoid anything that cannot be easily recycled. The old “plastic peanuts” made from Styrofoam and some so-called “biodegradable” or “compostable” packaging beads on the market now can only be trashed, and none of them will decompose in a landfill. Bubble wrap and plastic pillows, if popped first, can be recycled with the other plastic films at Hannaford. Reusing paper and cardboard is probably the best choice. I like crumpled newsprint for almost anything we ship. Shredded paper can be a nice packaging material, but be sure there is a way to handle it at the other end of the shipment. It’s best to start with as small a package as possible. ~ Harry Hopcroft