So much stuff is made with plastic that it sometimes feels hard to avoid it. Luckily, some companies are innovating solutions, so you can still enjoy their product without dealing with annoying plastic or having to go elsewhere.
According to ThePackHub, Vetain, a vegan nutrition brand from Germany, is using Sonoco's GreenCan, which uses a paper end and a lid that's "made with at least 96% paper content."
The lid used to be made of metal, but it wanted packaging that was fully recyclable. It complies with the European Union's recyclable paper standard, and it eliminates the need to separate the packaging before throwing it in the recycling bin. In your busy life, it makes it much more efficient to recycle the packaging together, instead of having to sort through everything.
Sonoco cans are "made with 92%-98% renewable paperboard" and are "available with fiber certification options, providing assurance that the paper materials are sourced responsibly." So, companies are confident they are achieving their sustainability goals.
Unfortunately, plastic waste is a major issue to tackle. According to the United Nations, only 10% of the 400 million tonnes of plastic that is produced globally every year is recycled. Much of this was made to be single-use only. Additionally, the U.N. noted that "an estimated 11 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers, and seas annually. That is approximately the weight of 2,200 Eiffel Towers altogether."
Then the plastic breaks down, creating microplastics, which are only about 5 millimeters in diameter. These tiny particles end up in water, food, and the air. People are estimated to consume over 500,000 of these particles every year.
PepsiCo's new U.K. Sunbites chip brand is also using sustainable packaging, made with 50% recycled plastic.
These are just a couple of examples of brands with eco-friendly initiatives, but many others are setting sustainability goals and achieving them.