Are you misunderstanding environmental protection? Are environmentally friendly products sustainable products?

Recycling is the most comprehensive measure

Young people often think recycling is the best way to reduce environmental pollution problems. Many trends such as “Collect 10 water bottles and get 1 new water bottle free” or “Turn plastic into household items” unintentionally make people think that recycling is the most important process in environmental protection activities.

However, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency: Only 32.1% of waste was recycled in 2018. A product must go through many complex processes and technologies to be recycled and brought to market. school. That means simply applying recycling processes is not enough to improve the waste situation.

According to the 3R model: Reduce – Recycle – Reuse, we can protect the environment through other actions such as: Minimizing food waste and plastic waste by Limit the use of disposable packaging, do not waste food.

Environmentally friendly products are sustainable products

Products labeled eco-friendly are products that contain natural extracts and are produced with the aim of minimizing impact on the environment. This makes many consumers think that environmentally friendly products are also sustainable.

In fact, the sustainability of a product is also based on many other criteria such as life cycle, carbon footprint, durability, longevity, and recyclability.

For example: Businesses tend to use biodegradable plastic because it can decompose faster than traditional plastic.

However, according to research in the journal Environmental Science & Technology: This type of plastic only decomposes under high temperature conditions and long exposure to UV rays. Under standard conditions, they can last for many years and contribute to environmental pollution.

Part of the cause of this confusion is also due to the greenwashing trend of businesses, causing confusion between the two concepts of sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

Before choosing to buy a product, in addition to considering ingredients, features, and price, you should prioritize choosing products with sustainability certification recognized by third parties such as Energy  Star, Fair Trade, and Cradle to Cradle.

Technology can solve every problem

Technology is one of the factors that is highly expected in replacing and solving environmental problems. However, this also has many limitations. A complete technology solution requires changes in consumer behavior, government policies, and the current economic situation.

According to environmental research by Nature magazine: While technological advances can reduce emissions, achieving long-term sustainability requires behavioral changes, policy reforms, and global cooperation. required to comprehensively solve the problem.

For example, electric vehicles are often considered environmentally friendly because they do not emit polluting emissions, but the battery and power production process still has some impact on natural resources. Using public transport can be a more sustainable option because it helps reduce carbon emissions and limits production processes that use more natural ingredients.

Environmental protection is the task of developed countries

For developing countries, the most urgent need is said to be developing the economy, education, creating income and jobs for people. However, the environment is also an issue worth prioritizing.

According to research by the World Health Organization: More than 90% of the world’s population breathes polluted air, affecting health and economic well-being globally. This proves that conserving water resources and limiting air pollution is a problem for all countries in the world.