ESSENTIAL DICTIONARY ON ENVIRONMENT AND PACKAGING

Do you want to make a contribution to preserving the environment in your company or online shop? Then this dictionary of essential terms on ecology and packaging, which we have prepared with all our special attention, is for you. So how often have you asked yourself whether it is better to buy a recycled or recyclable product? Or if ecological is the same as sustainable? So don’t be in any doubt. Today we are going to explain to you the meaning of 12 basic concepts about the environment and packaging that will help you make an Eco-Responsible purchase of materials for the preparation of your orders.

12 basic concepts about environment and packaging

Biodegradable

For example, a biodegradable product is one that breaks down into microscopic fragments under natural environmental conditions, under the action of biological agents such as the sun, humidity, various micro-organisms, animals and plants. In this way, the particles that make it up return to the soil, integrating themselves back into the environment.

The duration of this process varies depending on the material in question: an organic waste, for example, can biodegrade in a few days, while a synthetic element will require several years.

In the RAJA catalogue we therefore have biodegradable bags with handles made from cereal starch that are also compostable.

Compostable

Compostable products are biodegradable but have two additional characteristics:

• In this sense, they decompose rapidly when subjected to specific temperature conditions and the presence of oxygen.
• Furthermore, their remains are converted into compost, a kind of fertiliser very rich in nutrients that can be used in gardens and agricultural land.

They are, for example, the case with our Renature filler chips, made from corn starch.

Ecological

Those products bearing an eco-label have the particularity of having been made without the addition of chemical compounds harmful to the environment. Therefore, they are not polluting, neither during their production nor during their use.

Eco-Responsible

An Eco-Responsible product, action or decision is characterised by contributing to the defence of the environment from different perspectives:

• Through the use of recyclable, recycled, biodegradable, compostable, renewable or returnable materials.
• Using appropriate quantities and sizes, thus avoiding waste.
• Providing that the same article can have several lives.
• Generate greater concern for the environment.

Check out RAJA’s Eco-Responsible catalogue for the most environmentally conscious packaging to use in your business or online shop.

Eco-Friendly

The definition of eco-friendly is perhaps the most subjective in this dictionary on the environment and packaging. Eco-friendly refers to the adoption of a lifestyle that seeks to find a balance between social, economic and environmental benefits. It involves analysing the impact that each of our actions has on others, seeking to guide them so that damage is minimised and positive impacts are favoured.

Organic

Organic, in the environmental sense, refers to foods or consumables whose production does not use chemical additives such as fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. In most cases, and when referring to agricultural or livestock production, it is used as a synonym for ecological.

Recyclable

A recyclable element is one that can be recycled, that is, it can undergo a process of transformation of its components to originate a new product. A package can be totally or partially recyclable, such as our RAJA white corrugated cardboard boxes. These types of boxes are made from 70% recycled/recyclable material and are ideal for individual packaging of small pieces, providing a clean and elegant presentation for the recipient.

Recycled

A recycled object is made from materials obtained through a previous recycling process. Products that have been recycled have already had other lives and will be put to a new use again after this process.

RAJA paper industrial bags are the perfect example of a product that has been 100% recycled and is recyclable.

Renewable

A renewable raw material is one which has regenerated itself in nature at a faster rate than humans have consumed it. At RAJA we have incorporated these types of substances into products such as paper film for air systems, which is 80% made from renewable raw materials.

Returnable

Returnable packaging was developed to store, preserve and transform the product in successive cycles. After each use, the packaging goes through a hygienic process and returns to its original location to start again. Returnable Transport Packaging (RTP) has been widely used in many warehouses because, with proper maintenance, it can withstand dozens and even hundreds of trips in perfect condition.

Do you need RPCs? Take a look at RAJA’s nestable plastic bins with lids. Designed to save 70% of space on the return leg!

Reusable

Reusable objects are those that allow for more than one use, either the same or different from the original. A simple example is the bags that are used for shopping at the supermarket and which end up being used to put the rubbish we make at home. At RAJA we have very economical reusable bags which are also 100% recyclable.

Sustainable

Sustainable production is that which is not only concerned with the preservation of the environment, but also with taking care of the local economy of the territories where a certain activity takes place.

Go from theory to practice with RAJA’s line of Eco-Responsible products. We have hundreds ofpackages with low environmentalimpact , always in stock. Ask us what you need!