"Cartonale" is a sustainable material made entirely from recycled plastic. It is strong, lightweight, and durable, and yet it feels like paper. The material is an all-around best-seller in the market and is highly recognized as the greenest option available.
Cartonale is made by combining recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with wood fibers. It is a type of paper known as a cardboard substitute. According to the EPA, traditional paper has a carbon footprint that is approximately seven times that of cardboard. Therefore, introducing recycled paper products into your daily life can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. This, in turn, may help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Paper Versus Plastic
While paper and plastic are both considered to be non-biodegradable, not everyone agrees that one is more sustainable than the other. For instance, many people claim that paper is less damaging to the environment because it decomposes more quickly and completely than plastic. Additionally, paper producers argue that more people choose to reuse paper products than plastic ones, because paper is more convenient and easier to recycle.
On the other hand, paper's primary competitor, plastic, is highly contentious. While some people claim that plastic is better for the environment because it decomposes more slowly than paper, others say that it takes billions of years to decompose. Additionally, plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, harming wildlife along the way. Simply put, some people consider plastic to be more damaging than paper, and others consider paper to be more damaging than plastic.
Deciding which one is more sustainable is difficult. Perhaps, the answer lies in the fact that both are sustainable and that we simply need to find the right applications for each material.
Sustainability In A Changing World
Due to climate change, our world is undergoing a major transformation – the rate of biodiversity loss is increasing, and natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense. Traditional sources of energy, such as coal and oil, are being depleted, and renewable energy is becoming increasingly expensive. It's a problem that many experts believe will only get worse.
Renewable energy, such as solar power and wind power, provides us with a stable, clean source of energy that doesn't contribute to climate change. However, implementing renewable energy sources completely would require a complete reorganization of our energy infrastructure. This, in turn, would be extremely expensive and not practical at this point in time.
Another solution would be to reduce our energy consumption. However, decreasing our energy consumption isn't always easy, especially in today's world where so much of our daily computing has become automated. Nonetheless, it's an important measure we need to take if we want to be sustainable.
If you're interested in exploring alternatives to paper and plastic, there are dozens of sustainable material products available to choose from. Some of these products, such as hempcrete, have been around for decades but have seen a recent surge in popularity. Others, such as silk clothing, are being touted as the ‘future of textile.' Some materials, such as cardboard and bamboo, are naturally sustainable and don't require much in the way of maintenance or improvement.
Not only does the world need sustainable materials, but it also needs affordable and effective ways of generating and using energy. As we try to find solutions to these problems, let's keep our eyes open for options that are both sustainable and help us reduce our carbon footprint.