Overview
Plastic-free options do not contain any petroleum-based plastics. Plastic production takes crude oil and polymerizes it into the different chemical structures we know as plastics #1-7. Today, plastic is the most used material in the world, and the number one use of plastic is packaging.
Why choose it?
Plastics don’t biodegrade, and can remain in the ocean for hundreds of years, and even longer as small particles. Globally, only 14% of plastic is collected for recycling, less than 10 percent of plastic that's been created has been recycled.
and if current trends continue, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight. Companies may go plastic-free to limit the lasting footprint of their packaging.
Global Production of Virgin Plastic by Decade (Millions of Tons)
Source: The New Plastics Economy (2014)
Why not choose it?
Companies may opt for plastic packaging because its low weight lends itself to a low carbon footprint in transit. In the context of global warming, flexible plastic packaging is often the lower impact choice.