Chapter 11 - Packaging

Packaging is so common throughout our lives and the world that we hardly realize the massive volume of material consumed for packaging. Packaging is one of the largest fractions of municipal solid waste in most industrialized countries, and growing rapidly in developing countries. The volume and composition of packaging waste are affected by several factors. Economic development, population, and a variety of national factors are key drivers for the volume of packaging waste. The composition changes over time due to technology and economic drivers, but is also affected by national circumstances (e.g., culture, demographics) and policies. Due to its important contribution to the total volume of waste generated, packaging has historically received a lot of attention in waste management policy. This had led to a range of experiences with different ways to collect packaging waste for recycling throughout the world. The type of collection scheme is driven by the type of packaging or material (i.e., reuse, recycling, or waste treatment). Recycling rates vary by material type, with the highest collection and recycling rates found for metals, glass, and paper. Collection and, especially, recycling rates of plastics are generally still very low. The effectiveness and efficiency of collection is affected by a variety of factors, including cultural, economic, and organizational factors.