Logical Reasons to say ‘No’ to Discard Plastic

Edwin Seah Head of Sustainability and Food Industry Asia has a different view on Food Industry Asia attempting to put a complete ban on plastic. According to him, it is not the perfect solution because of various reasons that can affect the entire Food and Packaging industry. There are millions of people associated with it and many kinds of food items are transferred using plastic packaging. There is an urgent need to develop some other ways to work as an alternative instead of putting a ban on plastic.

Plastic packaging is necessary

Plastic packaging ensures safety from various kinds of conditions. It works as a wall of protection for the product against the world full of viruses and bacteria. It gives a good look to the product. It proves it to be a systematic approach of the manufacturer. It speaks a lot about the product, the company and all the entities associated with it.

Protection against contamination

Plastic packaging is to make sure that the food item is perfectly packed without any leakage or any other kind of contamination. Plastic packaging does not absorb different elements and compounds that it has to encounter in its journey from manufacturing, to wholesaling, to retailing and finally, to reaching the end consumer. Sometimes, it comes across liquids, soil, dirt, polluted air, and many other elements and compounds including viruses; it needs strong protection. It is touched by different people, equipment and machines which raises concerns against hygiene. Sometimes, the food packets may fall on the floor during a mishap and if the packaging is not proper it can contaminate the contents to the extent it can’t be used.

Information with packaging

There is a lot of information on the packaging related to the manufacturing, expiry date, entities involved in making it reach from its starting point to endpoint, weight of the product, directions to use the product, and many other kinds of information that the consumer has a right to know. This information might not remain legible or legible or and visible till it reaches the end consumer, if there is some other material which is not as strong and stable as plastic.

Using recyclable packaging

Edwin Seah Head of Sustainability and Food Industry Asia has some other suggestions related to replacing plastic. The ban on usage of polyvinyl chloride in making plastic packaging because it is not recyclable is number one on the list. We are living in the 21^st century with a lot of inventions and innovations. There are recyclable plastic products available. Therefore, Food Industry Asia needs to rethink its decision of putting a ban on plastic because they have to create alternatives first while keeping in mind the size and need of the industry.

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Edwin Seah Head of Sustainability and Food Industry Asia