Plastic, if not managed responsibly, can have disastrous effects on the environment, Plastic is made of non-renewable sources, e.g. oil, whereas paper comes from trees, which are renewable. Paper is much more easily recycled and is far less harmful for wildlife and sea life if discarded.
Paper is re-pulped when recycled and does not rely on chemical reactions to break it down, like plastic does. However, paper-based flexible packaging is often laminated with plastic/aluminium or coasted with resin which results in it being non-recyclable.
EU directives have targeted packaging as part of a Green New Deal with an exclusive focus on plastics, not paper. Focus remains on the end-of-life disposal of packaging rather than the environmental cost of production and distribution of packaged products.
The best solution to a more sustainable packaging industry is operating with a circular economy, reusing and extracting less raw materials.
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