Graphic: Environmental Impacts Associated with Disposable Food Service Ware
Please feel free to reuse this graphic or the content below with proper attribution to Orb Media.
Single-use plastics and other long-lasting disposable food packaging exact a huge cost on the environment.
Obtaining feedstock: Extracting or acquiring virgin materials, harvesting waste products, fertilizers, energy, land use, and other environmental impacts.
Manufacturing: Energy, water, land use, chemical use, etc.
Transportation: Increased energy use, GHG emissions, etc.
Disposal: Requires transportation; Releases energy and carbon/chemical emissions during landfilling, composting, and burning.
Escaping to the environment: An alternative to waste disposal; harmful to wildlife, contaminates food chain, pollutes water sources, etc.
References:
Want to use Orb’s free reporting resources to produce stories at your organization? Register to become a member to gain access to a variety of reporting materials on protected pages and to be the first informed when new, embargoed content becomes available.