Recently, there has been a big wave of resistance against the overuse of plastics. Images of polluted beaches and whale stomachs with plastic bags have traveled around the world, and far more than in the past, the issues of recycling and the ecological footprint of production and transport are being addressed.
As you can guess, plastic is not like plastic and nothing is just black and white. Of course, plastics are never a material that nature would dance with joy over, but even among them you can find more or less ecological options. In large volumes, for example in industry, then replacing one synthetic material with another can make quite a difference. An interesting option is, for example, the use of polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) instead of PVC.
Although all three names sound similar chemically and "ungreen", polypropylene and polyethylene are definitely less of a burden for humans and nature. Some allergy sufferers and people with sensitive skin will certainly be pleased that these materials are hypoallergenic and harmless to health.
Polypropylene films also do not contain any additives based on heavy metals, cadmium, pigments and are free of plasticizers and acids. Thanks to this, they can be burned in incinerators without any problems, since no toxic substances are released during burning. Nothing is released from it even at a landfill, so there is no risk of dangerous substances leaking into the soil or groundwater. The costs of recycling are thus lower.
At the same time, PE has greater strength compared to PVC with a lower wall thickness, so you will use significantly less of it for the same work. This saves not only when purchasing such packaging material, but also produces less waste