March 16, 2007

Paper or Plastic by Daniel Imhoff

1578051177.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg To be or not to be? And just as importantly, paper or plastic?

Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World by writer Daniel Imhoff and designer/photographer Roberto Carra explores the environmental implications of this question with some captivating results.

More than half of America's solid waste comes from packaging -- more than 300 pounds per person per year.

And even more energy is used in the "upstream costs" involved in packaging's production. Imhoff and Carra give consumers, product designers, and policymakers something to think about -- and the information we need to take steps toward a more sustainable future.

From the book description on Amazon:

They delve into the histories and life cycles of packaging materials and look at the countless ways that packaged goods shape our culture. Using case studies, they explore the positive trends that are changing packaging, including producer responsibility and "take-back" laws being enacted in Europe; the eco-design movement; plant-based plastics; labeling to disclose the ecological and social impacts of products; and producing and consuming locally and in bulk versus the wasteful global exchange of single-serving containers. Carra's remarkable color photographs illustrate both the important functions of packaging and its many unintended consequences around the globe.

We missed this book when it first came out a couple of years ago, but the photography and the histories make worth checking out.

Buy Paper or Plastic: Searching for Solutions to an Overpackaged World.

Read More in: Really Natural Books | Weekend Reading