Benefits of Plastic - Why plastics are indispensable in our everyday lives

Mannheim (Germany), May 25, 2022 – Misconceptions about plastic packaging are omnipresent in public discourse. In this context, plastics and plastic packaging are often viewed in a one-sided manner. With a campaign on social media, "Benefits of Plastic”, RKW took a closer look at these misconceptions, highlighting the advantages of plastics and various application examples in a fact-based manner. 

Plastic packaging - contrary to widespread misconceptions - plays an important role in protecting food from damage, contamination or loss of quality with its numerous protective functions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, food waste is the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic packaging can therefore help counteract this waste by providing adequate product protection. Plastic packaging provides customers with high-quality goods, reduces food and product waste, and prevents resources from being wasted unnecessarily.

Less plastic, more CO2 emissions

The belief that other packaging materials are per se better and more sustainable than plastic packaging is widespread. Many companies also increasingly make use of this misconception against plastic and advertise plastic-free packaging. A study by denkstatt shows: Replacing plastic packaging consumes significantly more energy and leads to increased CO2 emissions.

Correct waste separation enables recycling

If you want to contribute to climate protection and conserve resources, you should separate waste properly. By this, can valuable resources from packaging, for example, are being kept in a recycling loop and reprocessed at the end of their life cycle. In Germany and many other countries, disposal via dedicated recycling collection ensures that plastic packaging can get a new of life and, after sorting, is processed into so-called recyclates, recycled plastics.

Circular economy for plastics: foundation for climate-neutral use

Natural resources form the basis for a functioning society. It is therefore all the more important to use resources responsibly. The circular economy pursues the goal of using products and raw materials for as long as possible. It is also the foundation for the sustainable and climate-neutral use of plastics. Because the benefits of plastic are manifold, it is all the more important to reuse and efficiently recycle plastic.

The RKW Group is committed to its responsibility to give plastic products a sustainable perspective. We are working to further expand the circular economy for this indispensable raw material. To this end, we are guided by the motto "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".

For more information about RKW, please visit: www.rkw-group.com.

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Studies underscore the important role of plastics in protecting foods, for example, and their comparatively positive contribution to climate protection.

The RKW Group

The RKW Group is an independent private company headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, and is one of the world's leading manufacturers of excellent film solutions. RKW is the market leader in the areas of hygiene and agricultural films, films for the beverage industry and packaging for powdery goods. Moreover, the company also supplies films and nonwovens for medical applications, for the chemical and processing industries as well as for the construction sector. The RKW Group's sustainable plastic-based films enable its customers to improve the daily life of consumers worldwide. In line with the company's slogan "When excellence matters", the company, founded in 1957, focuses on excellence in quality and service. RKW employs approximately 3,000 people at 19 locations worldwide.

For more information about RKW, please visit www.rkw-group.com