SUSTAINABILITY AND MILLENIALS & GEN Z

 Sustainability and Millennials & Gen Z

As people become more conscious of the need for sustainability, each generation has developed its interpretation of the concept. They make deliberate attempts to integrate sustainability into their lifestyle, depending on the generation to which they belong. Millennials and Gen Z have made sustainability a priority in their lives. Meanwhile, Boomers believe that all discussion about sustainability is a fad that will go away with time. Each individual has a unique method of contributing to a more sustainable environment, ensuring that a more sustainable planet is left behind for the benefit of future generations.

Most Generation Z and millennials, from all over the globe and from all areas of life, have been asked what actions they are doing to improve sustainability. The responses have varied widely. As sanitary napkins are non-biodegradable and may take up to 500-800 years to disintegrate, as well as being harmful to one's health, the majority of females said they converted to menstruation cups, cloth pads, and other environmentally friendly alternatives. During her lifetime, a woman will dispose of about 125 to 150kg of tampons or pad waste. Making this deliberate choice may result in significant reductions in air and land pollution that occurs during the production and disposal of these products.

                                                            Source: Botta Packaging

Others, for whom travel is a requirement for their work, make every effort to minimize their reliance on flying and to use public transportation, such as trains, to contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions in the environment. People's desire to live a sustainable lifestyle has converted them into those who practice a "Zero Waste Lifestyle."

Additionally, these two generations are altering their purchasing patterns to demand more environmentally friendly goods and packaging as part of their efforts to preserve the environment. Because meat eating contributes to the production of greenhouse gases, we may discover a large number of vegans among these generations. They make buying choices based on environmentally friendly ideas.

Sources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/zero-waste-families-plastic-culture

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregpetro/2021/04/30/gen-z-is-emerging-as-the-sustainability-generation/?sh=6d8837a18699

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Why is Fast Fashion a Problem?

 

Fast fashion is about fashionable, inexpensive clothing that can be produced quickly. Because of its pricing and coolness, the brand appeals to the public. They are popular for a short period, then go out of style. A lot of manufacturing is done in this sector to keep up with the rising numbers of attractive new designs and demand. At a price that is quite inexpensive, the item does not have a high level of quality and is discarded soon. Without proper disposal management, they wind up in landfills, making the problem worse for the environment. The strong demand for these kinds of clothing encourages the production of more products which adds to the problem.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/OYYE4g-I5ZQ

In a business context, it is a very high-profit margin industry, but from an ethical viewpoint, it is not appropriate. The ill-effects of rapid fashion on the environment are responsible for this. It has a massive environmental effect on both the manufacturing and disposal processes. Fabric dyes, hazardous chemicals, and a significant amount of energy and resources are required to produce the garments. Typically, polyester fabrics that are utilized in this sector emit microfiber plastic whenever they are cleaned. Non-biodegradable microplastic may potentially be found in our waterways, and as a result, it could harm the lives of aquatic life and the lives of humans as well.

They are also a source of carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon emissions are emitted when transporting products from manufacturers to retail locations. Subsequently, these incidents take place once again in the hands of the customer.  Because of the large amount of this kind of clothes being required, the rate of transportation for this type of clothing is also increasing.

Fast fashion is all the trend, but it is also accelerating environmental damage. To protect our planet, let's search for alternatives to this.

Sources

External links

https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news/what-is-fast-fashion

https://www.treehugger.com/fast-fashion-environmental-ethical-issues-4869800#citation-3

 

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 Packaging for the pharmaceutical sector

Despite the health emergency situation, pharmaceutical packaging is a well-established sector worth close to $128 billion. In addition, pharmaceutical packaging companies have pledged their commitment to support upcoming vaccination campaigns and ensure the necessary supplies.

Many resources are being invested in the sector and research is pushing for a better quality of materials for primary and secondary packaging and to optimize communication about how medicines are taken.

The primary packaging, in plastic or in glass bottles, has the task of protecting the product avoiding negative interactions between container and drug, but also make it easy to use.

Secondary packaging, in most cases in paper or cardboard, has the task of protecting the drug from shocks and thermal shocks and communicating clearly and directly the therapeutic function. In addition, in a context such as that of the pharmacy, where many patients have allergies or other diseases, must be hygienic and inert, preventing bacterial proliferation.

The future trend for pharmaceutical packaging seems to go towards the use of smart packaging able to interact with smartphones, computers that we are all equipped with today. The opportunities offered by this type of packaging are many: they can detect incorrect storage of the drug, or indicate its expiry, but even more useful to assist patients and health professionals in the correct adherence to the therapeutic plan.

The packaging also assumes an educational function because it needs proper conservation and in this perspective, a thermosensitive ink will be used to indicate the dosage.

In case of a high temperature, the ink disappears above the required limit and returns to its natural color when the appropriate temperature is restored.

https://www.comieco.org/packaging-farmaceutico-quale-futuro-per-carta-e-cartone/

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A NEW CHALLENGE: THE REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GASES

 

Source: Unsplash

The reduction of greenhouse gases is one of the themes present in the production of packaging for BOTTA Packaging. Let's find out what it is.

The greenhouse effect is what causes global warming. It is a natural phenomenon that in itself is not negative. Thanks to this effect, the Earth does not have an excessively low and inhospitable temperature. Greenhouse gases, including CO2, methane, and ozone, favour the reflection of IR rays towards the earth and retain part of the heat that is thus distributed on the earth's surface, mitigating the climate. This phenomenon is based on a very delicate natural balance. Man is responsible for a strong increase of CO2, which is putting more and more under pressure. This leads to catastrophic risks for our planet. The increase in greenhouse gases is causing temperatures to rise excessively.

The increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is mainly due to human activity. Intense industrialization has caused and continues to cause more and more, a huge amount of CO2 emissions due to the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).

If adequate measures are not taken to reduce CO2 emissions, global warming will increase causing profound climate changes, with consequences such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, increasing heatwaves, long periods of drought, increasing arid areas, severe floods, storms, and hurricanes, destruction of animal habitat, extinction of many animal species and increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

With this in mind, BOTTA Packaging is committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels. Corrugated cardboard, in fact, besides being 100% recyclable and biodegradable, is produced from renewable sources. At BOTTA Packaging we are constantly striving to improve their ecological footprint through the optimization of production processes in order to be part of a responsible supply chain. In fact, BOTTA Packaging believes in long-term sustainable development to ensure future generations a healthy planet.

Sources:

https://anteritalia.org/effetto-serra-cose-cosa-comporta-contenerlo/?gclid=CjwKCAiAp4KCBhB6EiwAxRxbpHiB9LRog38bdtOIL9vxfaeGaTkZCAA10C4t3XuUqjYVlOy2QeYmhBoC-lEQAvD_BwE

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PAPER RECYCLING

 

Source: Unsplash

Paper recycling is part of the waste management activities that feed and enhance the circularity of an environmentally sustainable economy. An effective differentiated collection allows re-introducing in the productive process the waste paper material. Let's take a closer look at how the paper recycling process works.

There are several ways to recycle paper, but all contain essential steps. First, large piles of waste paper are accumulated in the factory yard.

Paper is then loaded onto conveyor belts and dropped into huge tanks of hot water called macerators. Here it is shredded and reduced to a pulp. Inside the tank is a powerful magnet that attracts metal objects, which are removed.

Fibers and other contaminants such as glue must be removed by filtering them through screens. For this purpose, the mush is discharged from the macerator and filtered.

The material may be passed through half a dozen screens, each with a larger mesh than the previous one.

After passing through the screens, the material, reduced to a paste, is sprayed onto a conveyor belt. The paste enters the paper machine where it is spread out on a large felt and takes the shape of a sheet.

The wet layers must then be dried in order to be transformed into cardboard.

As the material travels on the conveyor belt, a series of huge heated rollers compress the material to release any remaining water. The drying process involves several steps and each time the pressure and also the heat emanating from the rollers dries the material.

When the drying process is completed the material is transformed into cardboard and in the final phase, its quality is checked. The cardboard is dry and ready to be packed for transport and later for sale.

In this perspective of a circular economy, BOTTA Packaging uses corrugated cardboard, which in addition to being biodegradable and produced from renewable sources, is 100% recyclable. 

Reference

http://utenti.romascuola.net/sangallo/ambiente/RicicloCarta2.htm

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INTERNATIONAL FOREST DAY

21 March is International Forest Day. It was established in 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly. This day serves to raise awareness of the importance of forests and their indispensable role in human and Earth life, environmental sustainability, and environmental security.

Forests are fundamental to our lives: they absorb the carbon dioxide we produce in industrial quantities. They also interact with the climate, and in particular with temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation. All types of forests must be managed sustainably because this means defending the lives of future generations on Earth.

Forests cover one-third of the Earth's surface and are the ecosystems with the highest rate of biodiversity. Around 1.6 billion people and more than 2,000 indigenous cultures find food, medicine, and energy in forests. Despite this, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate, and forests are increasingly ravaged by fires and suffering from the impact of climate change. 12 million hectares of forests are destroyed each year, and deforestation accounts for 12-20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, contributing around 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to climate change. 

In Italy, forests are continuously and gradually increasing in the last 30 years there has been an increase of 3 million hectares. In fact, forests have come to cover about a third of the national territory, partly due to the spontaneous growth of forest vegetation on abandoned agricultural land. Forested areas are particularly characteristic of Italy's inland areas, which can play a driving role in the country's recovery in terms of agriculture, employment, and sustainable tourism.

However, nothing happens without commitment. Enhancing the value of inland areas requires the modernization of infrastructures, starting with forest roads, the digitalization of forestry practices, and the simplification of authorizations for forestry work. This is the only way to make the forests increasingly sustainable. 

Reference

https://www.rinnovabili.it/ambiente/biodiversita/giornata-internazionale-delle-foreste/

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Adhesive Tape

Tapes are very important in the packaging industry. Every company that is involved in the packaging industry needs at least a few of these. As public awareness of the need for a sustainable environment grows, the usage of ecologically friendly tape is becoming more important for all manufacturing and industrial facilities engaged in packing, transportation, and storage. Keeping this in mind, BOTTA Packaging decided to research and develop more environmentally friendly tapes to satisfy the increasing demand for such products. It was as a result of this that the Adhesive Tape was developed.

Our Adhesive Tape may be used to seal any kind of packaging, enabling you to customize your packaging to suit the specific requirements of your business. Their forms and sizes are diverse and include standard adhesive tape with acrylic or hot melt glue, customized adhesive tape, and special tape such as security tape; metallic tape; paper tape; and double-sided tape; among others. 

Custom printing is also available via BOTTA Packaging, which may be applied on the tape's back or in the gap between the film and its adherent properties.

Kindly contact us at commerciale@botta.it if you would like additional information or a price quote on this particular product.

 

 

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