Can Paper Replace Plastic When It Comes To Packaging?

With the arrival of the plastic tax in 2022, more and more companies and industries are planning to switch to paper packaging, leaving plastic behind. This switch is also an outcome of the growing concern for the environment. 

However, some of them are still puzzled to take a step further toward adapting paper since the paper has got its own environmental issues. 

Hence, today we are going to discuss the major pros and cons of both plastic and paper packaging to guide you in choosing the most suitable path for your industry. 

A Comparison Of The Pros & Cons Of Plastic & Paper Packaging

Pros & Cons Of Paper

Pros Of Paper

• Ability To Recycle

Paper cardboard is a renewable and thus recyclable resource, unlike plastics that are in large numbers, sent to landfills. 

• Sustainable Material

Paper can be recycled and reused, unlike most plastics. Moreover, it is biodegradable and breaks down pretty quickly. 

• Good Storage Capacity

As long as the corrugated box with fluting is protected from water, it can store a large amount of stuff easily. However, manufacturers still try to make these boxes the strongest and make sure to test their strength using a short span compression tester before sending them to the market.  

• Versatile Design

Paper boxes allow designing for easy branding and marketing. They can be printed in whichever way it needs to be. 

Cons Of Paper

• Less Durable

While a paper box can easily hold things, it becomes less or not durable as soon as it gets in contact with water or moisture, unlike plastic. 

• Less Flexible

Pretty much understood that paper is less flexible than plastic and therefore undergoes more problems while stacking. 

• Non-resistant to Water or Moisture

Clearly, paper or cardboard boxes are not at all resistant to moisture, as read above, Therefore keeping them in moist places proves very risky.

• Growing Deforestation 

Ultimately, if there’s paper, there’s more cutting of trees, hence deforestation. While paper, on one hand, can save environmental pollution, it destroys the growth of green on the other hand.

Pros & Cons Of Plastic

Pros Of Plastic

• Affordable Cost

Among all the packaging materials, plastic is the most cheapest and commonly used.

• Exceptional Durability

Its strength and durability are exceptional. It does not get damaged or break easily, even after falling or under pressure when stacked on top of each other. This makes it easy to transport and ensures the safety of the products. 

• Versatility

Based on the use and purpose, plastic can be formed into different shapes. Hence they are highly flexible and adaptable in nature.

• Higher Shelf Life

Plastics have a long shelf life, hence, can take a thousand years to break down or decompose. Not just that, they also increase the shelf life of the product inside to a great extent. 

• Less Weight

Indeed, plastic is the most lightweight material when compared to glass, wood, and other materials. 

Cons Of Plastic

• Higher Carbon Footprints

Manufacturing plastic or plastic products release an extraordinary amount of carbon into the environment, hence causing pollution. 

• Non-Biodegradable

As read above, plastics take more than thousands of years to break down or fully degrade, which ultimately causes harm to the environment. 

• Pollutant To The Environment

Plastics, when immerse in the oceans or land, pollute both. Once these molecules are broken down by the sunlight, they tend to poison the soil, degrade the land fertility and ultimately harm the environmental creatures. 

Conclusion

So these were the pros and cons of both plastic and paper. Based on the above factors, one can easily decide whether or not to switch from plastic to paper. The decision is absolutely exclusive to the preferences of businesses. If you’re planning to shift to paper packaging, make sure to know more and invest in packaging testing instruments. Get in touch with UECIN to know more.