At Urban Leaf, we believe in making sustainability decisions that will outlast us. Packaging—something with a useful life of mere days but a footprint lasting hundreds or even thousands of years—is a huge issue. That's why we're excited to talk about it, especially since plastic packaging is this year's official Earth Day theme.
Packaging's Role in Food Transport and Retail
Every time food is stored, transported, or bought, there's packaging involved. Packaging helps with handling, extends shelf life, keeps things clean, and makes measuring easier. But did you know the average American generates over 1,500 pounds of waste a year? A whopping 69% of that (by volume) is food packaging. It’s not just the production of packaging materials like paper or plastic that matters, but also their disposal—whether they end up in a landfill, are incinerated, or, worse, make their way into our oceans.
At Urban Leaf, we’ve created indoor growing kits that can help reduce the need for plastic packaging. Plus, most of our products’ packaging is biodegradable or environmentally friendly!
Are Our Oceans Becoming a Garbage Patch?
By 2050, it’s estimated we’ll have more plastic in our oceans than fish. Scary, right? Though most packaging waste heads to landfills, some of it—less than 25%—gets recycled, while significant quantities end up in our oceans. Here's what a sea captain had to say about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch:
"It seemed unbelievable, but I never found a clear spot. In the week it took to cross the subtropical high, no matter what time of day I looked, plastic debris was floating everywhere: bottles, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments."
Plastic waste, alongside other forms of packaging, continues to wash up on beaches around the globe because of ineffective waste management systems. At Urban Leaf, we're doing our part by creating products with decomposable packaging, and on top of that, our products are organic too!
Health Concerns: Seafood Lovers, Beware!
Not only is plastic in our oceans an eyesore, but it's also a health risk. Especially for seafood lovers. Recent studies found that fish can consume up to 246 pieces of microplastic per year, and guess where it ends up? Yup, on your plate. Yum.
Research also suggests that zinc oxide nanoparticles in food packaging may affect our ability to absorb nutrients. While we can’t always quantify the exact impact of this exposure, buying fresh, local produce instead of canned and bagged goods can help avoid this risk. Consider growing your own veggies at home with our 3 Pack of Vegetable Seeds for fresher and safer meals!
Recycling and Consumer Awareness
One major barrier to sustainable plastic use is the inefficiency of recycling processes. According to a 2017 study, humans have produced about 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic, of which only 9% has been recycled. The rest? Waste. The inefficiencies in recycling come from both the industrial processes and the lack of consumer education on how to recycle effectively.
Want to take small steps? Try repurposing old bottles as hanging gardens or other fun recycled projects. Every little bit helps!
What You Can Do to Help
It’s hard to avoid packaging entirely, but we can all reduce our plastic footprint with a few simple actions:
- Eat local. The less distance your food travels, the less packaging it needs.
- Eat seasonally. Want strawberries in winter? They traveled a long way to get to you.
- Take reusable bags everywhere! We’re big fans of the Nano bag project on Kickstarter.
- Shop at packaging-free stores—many areas have them if you search.
- Say NO to plastic bottles. Instead, go for reusable glass or metal containers like those from Joco Cups!
- Choose repurposed products, like the stylish bags from People For Urban Progress.
In Case You Were Wondering…
At Urban Leaf, we’re not perfect when it comes to packaging, but here’s what we’re doing to improve:
- Recycled cardboard packaging: We pay extra to ensure our packaging is made from recycled materials.
- Biodegradable plastic: The plastic we use in our World’s Smallest Garden is made from PLA—a biodegradable, cornstarch-based material. We’re working on reducing its environmental footprint even further.
- Re-use of bottles: Instead of custom-designed reservoirs, we encourage you to repurpose an old bottle. It’s practical and eco-friendly!
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