The answer lies in their origin stories.
We often get asked why paper is better for our planet than plastic. To find the answer, we need to look at each material’s origin story.
The most common form of plastic in consumer products (including plastic water bottles) is PET plastic. It’s made from crude oil and natural gas, which are both fossil fuels. Both are non-renewable resources, meaning once we use them up, they’re gone.
During extracting, processing and refining, they release harmful chemicals and toxins into the environment, which are harmful to humans, animals, and the environment.
After plastics are made and bottles are blown, they are then transported via trucks to filling stations, packaged and sent off to consumers.
After use and only IF appropriately recycled, they can only be recycled once. Only a small percentage of plastic can be made into new bottles because the fibers lose their strength and quality over use. When not able to be recycled, they end up in landfills or in our oceans. They won’t ever fully break down and can be dangerous for marine life, water quality and other environmental concerns.
In contrast, paper is made from a renewable resource that’s all around us: trees!
Specifically, the paper used to make our boxes are made from trees harvested from responsibly managed, sustainable forests in states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
After boxes are made, they’re sent to filling stations. And because they’re transported flat to our filling locations, we can fit more boxes per truckload than typical plastic water bottle companies can. In fact, for every 26 trucks of plastic water bottles transported, we use 1 Boxed Water truck.
This dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of our product, and is just another reason to choose paper over plastic.
The afterlife of recycled paper is much better for our planet than plastic. Paper can be recycled again up to five times and is fully biodegradable – meaning it won’t linger in landfills for years to come. It typically breaks down within 2-6 weeks.
Choosing paper over plastic goes a long way for us and our planet.