As large of an employer as it is, chances are that you already know somebody who works in the Australian packaging industry. Indeed, it is a reasonably sized industry that exerts a massive amount of influence over our daily lives. From recycling to protecting the food that we purchase, packaging is essential.
The Packaging Industry: Value And Employment –
Numbers are among the very best ways to get an idea about the size of something. Consider this: The Australian packaging industry accounts for approximately 1% of the country’s GDP, or Gross Domestic Product. That may sound small, but Australia is a massive country with a very high volume of output. Combine that fact with the fact that approximately 30,000 people are employed by the Australian packaging industry, and it’s easy to see why this industry is so important.
Material Statistics Related To The Packaging Industry –
At 36%, paper and cardboard packaging definitely corner the market when it comes to packaging materials. A simple glance in your pantry or refrigerator will confirm to you that this is the case. However, plastics have reached 30% – a very respectable figure that is easy to confirm, what with the popularity of plastic packaging these days. At 20%, metal packaging has diminished a bit but is still fairly common. Finally, as glass is the most breakable and least practical material, it only accounts for 10% of the total packaging that today is used in Australia.
Recycling And The Packaging Industry –
Considering that the packaging industry only contributes about 10% of urban solid waste, it is remarkable that the industry has, nonetheless, agreed to a National Packaging Covenant that will increase the levels at which it recycles various materials. For example: Plastics, which are currently recycled at a rate of approximately 20%, will now be recycled approximately 30% to 35% of the time. Paper and cardboard, which are currently recycled at a rate of approximately 64%, will now be recycled at a rate of approximately 70% to 80%.
Packaging: An Industry To Watch –
Whether you work in the packaging industry or not, there’s no question that it plays a major role in your life. From the food you buy at the store to the recycling that you do, packaging plays a role in many aspects of your day to day life. As time goes by, the industry itself will be amping up its recycling efforts and will be contributing to the health of the planet. For this reason, consumers can now feel more comfortable about the products that they purchase and can be assured that the food packaging industry is continuously working towards making the world a better place.