What Is Environmental Sustainability?

Here at Plascene, we take pride in the environmental sustainability of our products and processes, as well as our ability to help customers meet their own sustainability goals.

That all sounds impressive and lovely, but what does it really mean? Glad you asked.

The Basic Concept of Environmental Sustainability

As human populations have increased, so has our reliance on natural resources such as minerals, petroleum, coal, gas, etc. In fact, we are using up these resources faster than they can be replenished and/or regenerated. In addition, the number and diversity of creatures--from insects to birds to mammals--has been in continual decline.

Environmental sustainability is an earnest attempt to address this issue. For some, it means improving the quality of human life while remaining within the "carrying capacity" of the earth's supporting ecosystems. For others, it means ensuring that our future generations have the natural resources available for a way of life that's at least equal, if not better, than that of current generations.

But whether the goal is to make things better for current generations or ensure future generations can continue to thrive, environmental sustainability comes down to stabilizing the disruptive relationship between human culture and the living world.

What Plascene Is Doing to Be Environmentally Sustainable

Let's face it. Plastic had a sullied reputation when it comes to environmental issues. And the thing is, irresponsible plastic manufacturing and disposal has led to a lot of our current problems. However, to eliminate plastic altogether is to throw the baby out with the bath water.

At Plascene we want to do what's best, not just for our customers, but for the environment. In fact, our driving goals are to

1) minimize our environmental impact on the earth, 2) responsibly meet the needs of our customers, and 3) help our customers meet their own sustainability goals.

We've already discussed at length why PET and rPET packaging is better for the environment than glass. The fact is, by switching from glass to PET/rPET packaging, companies can save money while reducing their carbon footprint. It's a win-win.

We can't do it alone. But by partnering with like-minded customers, we can do right by our planet while meeting the needs of current and future generations. And that, in a nutshell, is what environmental sustainability is all about.

References:

United Nations Environment Programme - "Sustainability" (https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment/sustainability)

International Union for the Conservation of Nature - "Sustainable Development Goals" (https://www.iucn.org/theme/global-policy/our-work/sustainable-development-goals)