Throughout the past decades and still today, plastic is, by far, the most popular packaging material. Plastic owes its popularity to its durability, flexibility, and the fact that it’s extremely long-lasting. Besides these features, plastic is further highly affordable to produce, which makes it attractive to both large and small companies who wish to save costs. Due to these reasons, we’re currently living a world that truly has plastic everywhere.

The main feature that makes plastic so popular is the fact that it’s flexible yet durable. Plastic polymers are produced by mixing carbon with other materials. These materials are heated up, mixed, and then rebuilt to become the flexible plastic as we know it. This makes the material very easy to be molded in any size and shape of your liking during the production process. Thanks to its high customizability, plastics offer a suitable solution for every need imaginable. As such, it’s no surprise that our world is filled with it. This makes us wonder, what reason could anybody possibly have against the use of this cheap but extremely versatile material.

Many of us may not know it, but the main ingredient used to produce the carbon that is used for the production of plastics is oil. Now, as we all know, oil is a material that is far from environmentally friendly. As such, the production process of plastics is far from sustainable. On top of that, once the product is finished, plastics themselves are not biodegradable. Some plastics are recyclable, however, this mostly does not happen simply because people do not take the effort to dispose of it correctly. As such, tremendous amounts of leftover plastic waste ends up in our environment every year.

Despite its negative impact on the environment, we still can not imagine a life without plastics. The use of plastic is integrated into our everyday lives so deeply, that we simply can’t be without them anymore. As such, it’s hard to imagine that a plastic-free world will be an achievable goal for the coming century at least. Nevertheless, people are becoming more and more aware of the negative effects the use of plastic brings along. Because of this, a growing number of companies and people around the globe try to reduce their use of plastic. One of the main industries in which this can be seen is the packaging industry. Here, companies try to go plastic-free through the use of sustainable alternatives. Listed down below, you’ll find the two most commonly used and cheapest alternatives to plastic packaging materials that are sustainable and eco-friendly.

Aluminum Packaging

Traditional metal packaging such as iron and tin has been around for decades, however, the sustainability of these materials is questioned as of late. These traditional metal packaging materials use a chemical coating against corrosion that may not only be bad for the environment but also to our health. Luckily, there is a perfect alternative: aluminum.

Aluminum packaging has been around for quite a while. This material brings along all the same benefits as traditional metal packaging in terms of durability. However, there is more. Unlike traditional metal packaging, aluminum bottles and tin containers do not rust. As such, aluminum packaging does not require a chemical coating. Aluminum is furthermore much lighter in weight, which makes it easier, cheaper, and more sustainable to transport compared to heavier packaging materials.

Another benefit that aluminum has to offer is that it’s fully recyclable. Aluminum is one of the only materials that can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its original quality. More than half of the aluminum packaging materials in circulation today are believed to contain recycled material. Besides, aluminum is, together with glass, the only packaging material that is considered to be 100% body-safe by the FDA. This makes aluminum tins and bottles among the most sustainable packaging options available today.

Aluminum packaging is furthermore very affordable. Besides, it’s easily customizable and it offers a stunning seamless design. Its affordable price tag yet premium appearance makes aluminum packaging attractive for high-end brands that are looking for a stylish yet sustainable wrapping. Nowadays, aluminum packaging is most used in the food, cosmetics, and medicine industry thanks to it’s safe and sustainable design.

Glass Packaging

When it comes to packaging materials, glass is a classic that has been around for ages. It’s no lie when we claim that glass is one of the oldest packaging materials known to man. The truth is that the use of glass jars and bottles can be dated back as far as 100 B.C. During this time, tribes in South East Asia were known to use glass to store and preserve their foods. Although it has been around for thousands of years, glass packaging is still today very popular. There are several reasons why, still today, glass is one of the most used packaging materials.

When it comes to design, there is no denying that glass packaging looks apart. Compared to tin and plastic packaging, glass simply has a unique touch which makes it appear more premium. As such, many high-end brands in the food and cosmetic industry choose to store their products in glass bottles and jars. However, there is so much more to this packaging material than simply its appearance.

Many people may not know it, but glass is a completely natural material. Glass is formed without the use of any chemicals, which makes it safe and environmentally friendly. Together with aluminum, glass is the only material that is rated 100% food- and body-safe by the FDA. As such, it can be safely used to store any type of products ranging from cosmetics, foods, drinks, and medicine. Besides, because glass is a completely natural material, it is furthermore easy and fully recyclable. This makes glass one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging options available today. Sure, glass packaging may be a bit more expensive compared to plastics, however, its premium design and added benefits in terms of safety and sustainability certainly make it worth the price.