If humanity continues in the right environmental direction, plastic bags are about to be a relic of the past. Unfortunately, it takes more than one thousand years for a plastic bag to dissolve fully. They are very difficult and costly to recycle, and even after they break down, the toxins from them affect the soil, wildlife, and humans in harmful ways.
For that reason, what we should do as responsible business owners and customers is to stop producing, using, and purchasing plastic bags and looking for alternatives in the form of eco-friendly food packaging.
Custom Takeout Bags Will Replace Plastic Ones
Custom takeout bags and custom food packaging is the way to go when considering how to replace plastic bags. Despite custom options being a bit more expensive in terms of raw variable cost, they actually give value to both your business and your customers and should be considered a part of the product experience you are offering.
Learn more about how Custom Takeout Bags help businesses create a lasting impression.
Custom packaging tells your customers that you care and that your product is special and that even the packaging is tailored to provide a better experience to everyone. If you are planning to make custom packaging or you are looking for food packaging ideas, then steer away from plastic at all costs as it will only detract from your customer experience.
Reasons not to Invest in Plastic Bags
The environmental impacts of plastic bags are incredibly harmful. The use of plastic bags is estimated to kill around 100,000 animals per year. Some species, like sea turtles, often mistake plastic for food and get suffocated after eating bags instead of jellyfish. This gradually brings them close to the edge of extinction.
Almost all plastic bags contain toxic chemicals and take more than a thousand years to degrade, which means every single plastic bag ever produced is still somewhere on our Planet. And on top of that, more than 90% of Americans over the age of six test positive for a chemical called Bisphenol-A, which is used in the creation of plastic bags. We are literally consuming plastic!
Some of the effects of plastic bags include:
- Increased animal deaths and risk of extinction for some species. It is estimated that if we continue to use as many plastic bags as we do now, by the year 2050, the ocean will have more plastic bags than fish in it.
- Permanent pollution because plastic is non-biodegradable.
- Continued dependence on oil. Because plastic bags are made from petroleum, they accelerate the use of oil and contribute to global warming.
- Harmful effects on human health. BPA (Bisphenol-A) can affect prostate cancer in men and increase infertility in women, alongside exposing children to lung diseases and high blood pressure.
These are just some of the reasons why a plastic bag ban is imminent in most developed countries.
Many Countries Have Already Banned Plastic Bags
Many countries have banned plastic bags already, and some have imposed a mandatory charge on plastic bags aimed to dissuade customers from using them altogether. More than 127 countries have already banned plastic bags, and the trend is going to continue.
So, the best thing to do as a business owner is to stay ahead of the curve and create and use sustainable food packaging.
The Benefits of Sustainable Food Packaging
Have you ever walked down the street and seen food packaging you easily recognize from miles away? A good example of that would be Domino’s pizza boxes. Whenever you see someone carrying a pizza box, you’re most likely to recall brands like Domino’s, Papa John’s, or Pizza Hut.
The same could happen with your product. If you have great food packaging that both serves its purpose and is sustainable, you can show your customers how much you care about them and the environment at the same time.
Moreover, some customers feel guilty when purchasing plastic packaging they know is environmentally harmful. Release them from the guilt by providing a flawless customer experience with packaging that looks amazing and immediately signals that it will not harm the environment.
A Custom Takeout Bag is thoughtful alternative to single-use plastic bags, as they're made of recycled materials that are kept in circulation rather than using new materials. This type of circular packaging follows the principles of the circular economy rather than a take-make-dispose model.
Wrapping Things Up, Sustainably
Custom takeout bags can be combined with branded boxes to make your customers' experience special. With the help of custom-designed packaging, you can promote your store or delivery service and simultaneously show everyone how much you care about the environment. Show that you’ve taken the extra cost to 100% recycled packaging that also looks great!
If you are ready to take the extra step toward improving your brand image and the world at the same time, learn more about noissue's Custom Takeout Bags.