Why the packaging at Sticks’n’Sushi isn’t made from organic materials
At first glance it seems a natural choice for us to replace our plastic packaging with something made from organic materials. The organic materials can decompose directly in nature, with the benefit of less damaging consequences, should the packaging not end up in the garbage bin. At the same time it’s not contributing to a dependency on oil. A natural choice – or what...?
”Manufacturing corn packaging is also a more energy intense process than plastic packaging.”
After closer examination the choice turned out not quite as natural. The only organic material that could satisfy our needs, and requirements of the authorities, was produced from corn. Corn otherwise used as food. Thereby we would remove food from the food market to produce packaging, at a time where people are suffering from food scarcity!
Manufacturing corn packaging is also a more energy intense process than plastic packaging. And since most energy in the world comes from non-sustainable sources (mainly coal and gas), it does make a difference how much energy it takes to manufacture a product.
Most often higher energy consumption equals a higher CO2-emission.
“In Denmark we have a well-developed waste sector”
Here in Denmark plastic actually has certain advantages, because in Denmark we have a well-developed waste sector. As opposed to other places on earth, where waste is simply dumped in open landfills – with great harm to the climate and environment – we gain energy from our waste. We incinerate the waste from our garbage bins – including plastics – and in return we get heat and electricity. This partly replaces coal. Thereby, through incineration we get back some of the CO2 emitted from manufacturing our packaging – so to speak.
Corn-based packaging can also be incinerated, but the energy return is not as great. So in total plastic wins the energy score, and thus the CO2 score.
“We wish to counteract the global food scarcity through the choices we as a company make.”
The more insight we have gained, the more satisfied we have become with our decision to keep our plastic packaging. So far. We wish to counteract the global food scarcity through the choices we as a company make. That is why we don’t use corn as packaging, when people around the world lack food to eat.
We have examined the different alternatives and decided to keep the plastic. Actually we believe that the myths about the inferiorities of plastic mainly originate from outside the Danish borders, where people have big problems properly disposing of plastics.
But should we ever hear about the existence of a product that can comply with our hygiene requirements, and where we are not indirectly supporting a “yesterday’s industry”, we will straight away look into it. So we still have plastic packaging at Sticks’n’Sushi, but someday soon it might be replaced?
