ABSTRACT
Packaging is the number one use of plastic. It can reduce transportation costs and save energy because it weighs less than glass or metal. And, according to the Plastics Industry Trade Association, “Plastic packaging, which constitutes less than 4% of all municipal solid waste by weight, also can be disposed of safely in landfills.” The EPA, meanwhile, reports plastic packaging as over 5 percent of municipal solid waste by weight. And, as we've seen, plastics that leach toxic chemicals into our landfills are far from safe. Plastic packaging is also one of the least recycled types of plastic because so much of it is thin film that defies recycling. 1
