UNPACKED:
Paper, Plastic, or Metal?
August 5, 2025
Which one to use, when you have a choice?
Today, in modern society, using various types of packaging is a necessity of life: some are produced from materials found in nature, while others being completely artificial. They all serve our everyday needs, just as they serve industrial purposes that are much beyond household needs. Yet, we must not take for granted the convenience these products provide, because the ever‑increasing use of the underlying materials to fulfill our consumer demand has a price much beyond its purchase price … that is, the price of our everyday lives being altered by the climate consequences. And so, we must choose mindfully of which types of products—and how much—we use in our everyday lives.
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THE ESSENCE
THE DETAILS
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THE QUALITIES OF THE PRODUCTS AND PACKAGING WE USE:
and
Their Corresponding Human Effects
PAPER
shipping boxes, shopping bags from the mall, packaging, napkins & paper towel, facial tissue, pastry boxes, disposable coffee filters, gift wrap & party bags, etc.
PLASTIC
packaging, water bottles, grocery bags, food containers & pouches, disposable plates/ utensils/ cups, snack bags, takeout food boxes, throw‑away razors, etc.
METAL
canned food containers, soda cans, electronics (e.g. phones, laptops), disposable baking pans, power tools, BBQ grill, chain link fence, AC units, household‑ and garden appliances, etc.
Produced from cut-down trees
Produced from chemicals
Extracted in raw form from the Earth by mining, then processed (smelted), and molded into various metal products
While paper is biodegradable (can be broken down by microorganisms), the ability of trees to protect humans by storing harmful carbon‑dioxide is lost when the trees are cut down (in order to make paper‑ and lumber products).
PLASTIC DOESN’T JUST DISAPPEAR—it decomposes into smaller and smaller pieces (microplastics), and lurks around for decades or even hundreds of years. Plastic waste is present in all segments of the environment: air, land, bodies of water … and therefore: present in produce, animals, food, drinking water.
METAL IS NON‑BIODEGRADABLE. That means, it cannot just disappear. Increasing amount of metal waste occupies increasingly large land space, reducing the availability of land for other purposes, and leaching harmful toxins into our environment.
The more trees are cut down, the more we (humans) are exposed to polluted air, and to the domino‑effect of harm, caused by upending ecosystems where the trees lived.
Consequently, humans unknowingly ingest an amount of plastic weekly that approximately equals the plastic in a credit card.
Because of its non‑biodegradable nature, recycling no‑longer needed metal and cutting demand for metal are the only answer to preventing the Earth from being littered with never‑removable metal waste.
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT:
Cutting down trees (i.e. deforestation) eliminates the ability of those trees to absorb carbon‑dioxide (CO2) from the air that’s harmful for humans.

Those cut‑down trees also release their already-stored carbon (into the air) that accumulated in them over the past hundreds or thousands of years.
Much of the discarded plastic ends up in the ocean, making the water more and more acidic … which in turn, compromises marine life … which in turn, compromises our food that comes from the ocean … and, releases microplastics into the oxygen we breathe, as the ocean provides about half of the oxygen on Earth, produced by plankton (i.e. marine plants in the ocean).
The mining and the smelting (separating the metal from the ore that was mined from the Earth) require extreme amounts of energy and resources, which in turn, generate harmful carbon-dioxide (CO2) into the air that we breathe.

Mining disrupts ecosystems, causing the release of harmful substances into the environment (that were previously naturally stored inside those ecosystems—away from humans).
Part of this increased amount of carbon is soaked up by the ocean … which in, turn becomes more acidic … which in turn, compromises marine life, our food system, and the oxygen that the ocean generates.
The ocean also plays a part in regulating the climate, and facilitates the economies of all the countries on Earth.
Discarded metal products (that people don’t use any more) end up in landfills and in various places. These metal waste can leach heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury into the soil and water, contaminating our drinking water and agricultural produce.
Destroying tree root systems and understory vegetation damages the land’s ability to absorb water and nutrients, and therefore its ability to grow food in it.
Due to the increasing acidity, the ocean becomes warmer, sea level rises, which result in flooding, shoreline erosion, and strong storms.

These consequences affect roads, bridges, infrastructure, power plants, sewage systems, businesses, food supply, food quality, and more.
Landfills worldwide are reaching capacity, and the non‑biodegradable nature of metals occupy enormous space, increasing the need for every greater land for landfills, while reducing the availability of land for other purposes.
Deforestation breaks down the human‑plants‑animal balance … which in turn, causes some useful species to become extinct, while harmful species (e.g. mosquitos, ticks, etc.) thrive and carry diseases to humans.
In addition, the manufacturing process of plastic products generate greenhouse gases, further polluting the air, which in turn, exacerbates climate change.
Discarding metal products (e.g. phones) that are still in mint condition (or still in their useful life) multiplies the need for more mining and more smelting in order to fulfill consumers’ demand for new products more often.

Then, the cycle of mining, smelting, ecosystem disruption, habitat destruction, and carbon emissions keep repeating at ever greater frequency, literally causing greater and greater damage to the Earth and to the atmosphere.
In the remaining forests, fires become more frequent, longer lasting, and more powerful, due to the drier and warmer air … which was caused by climate change … which was partially caused by cutting down trees and deforestation.
Plastic takes 20‑600 years to decompose. BUT, REMEMBER: much of it only decomposes into smaller pieces, spreading throughout the Earth and in the ocean in an ever‑more indiscernible way.
Improper disposal of metal products leads to incineration—a process that releases greenhouse gases … which in turn, exacerbates climate change.
IMPACT ON HUMANS:
IMPACT ON HUMANS:
IMPACT ON HUMANS:
From the air we breathe, to the food we eat, to the increasing heat we have to endure during summer, the impacts of the exorbitant amount of consumer demand for disposable paper products affects our everyday lives.
So, where does the discarded plastic go? Ultimately, it comes back to us, LITERALLY … into our bodies—through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

Plastic has been found in human livers, kidneys, placentas.
Ultimately, all harmful effects of metal mining, smelting, and improper disposal come back to hurt us, humans: our health and our everyday way of life.

Carbon emissions into the air causes respiratory problems for people and animals.

Toxins from metal leached into the:
   
Soil:
contaminate our food supply, as well as the food for the animals which then also become our food
   
Water:
contaminate our drinking water, which can cause a multitude of health problems.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
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Be mindful of what products and packaging you choose to use, based on their underlying material … and how it will affect liveability on Earth both in the near future and in the long‑term. The effects are real in the very neighborhoods we live. And, unquestionably, our consumer choices today WILL affect life tomorrow … for us, and for generations after us. With that in mind, here are questions to consider when making choices as consumers.
  1. Which type of product (paper, plastic, or metal) will you buy?
  2. How much of it you buy?
  3. How long will you—and can you—use it (without frequently buying new ones)?
  4. And, how will you discard it when it’s time: throw it away, recycle it, or re‑make it into something else?
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