USDA May Encourage More Plant-Based Flexible Retail Packaging

Protecting our environment is a serious concern and an important goal for a large majority of Americans. Creating and maintaining sustainable communities isn’t a trend or a fad – it is essential for the wellbeing and livelihoods of our loved ones and ourselves. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the classic “3 R’s,” otherwise known as the foundation for protecting our ecosystem. As suppliers of flexible retail packaging, we know that reduction is key as we help companies do their part in minimizing waste, curbing overspending, and avoiding practices that are harmful to the world around us. 

That’s why we are pleased the federal government is getting on board with green practices that have the potential to dramatically change our environment for the better. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently put an agency rule in place that adds manufacturers of plant-based packaging to a new loan guarantee program. This provides companies access to loans with cheaper interest rates when building new plants, according to the Associated Press, and it encourages suppliers to opt for plant-based packaging.

Suppliers that make products from these natural materials have already displaced 300 million gallons of petroleum a year. According to AP, this is the equivalent of removing 200,000 cars off the road from an emissions standpoint. Food packaging made from organic matter has the potential to greatly reduce companies’ carbon footprints. Choosing flexible retail packaging, like paper-based kraft stand up pouches and recyclable flat barrier bags, can also reduce the amount of fuel used to ship your product due to their light weight and pliancy.

Companies that choose recyclable and plant-based flexible retail packaging not only improve their own sustainability practices, they also help put more money into the food industry as a whole. According to the USDA, the plant-based materials industry created 4 million jobs in 2013. Farmers, especially, will continue to reap the benefits as the rural economy becomes modernized and revitalized under these new initiatives.

Making the choice to use natural flexible retail packaging is as easy as ever with products like kraft stand up pouches, made from durable plant-based paper, proving to be a cost-efficient alternative for suppliers. The days of bulky glass or metal packaging are dwindling as consumers increasingly prove their preference toward sustainable, eco-friendly goods and eco-minded companies that provide them.

(Image Source: http://www.plasticinnovations.com/)

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