If you are sending items by post, you may not always think much about the sustainability of the parcel or its packaging. However, it would be wise to do so, because the impact of what you send has on the environment is significant.

Using customised packaging boxes made from cardboard is a great way to play your part in increasing your company’s sustainability and making a material difference to the environment we all share.

This is not just a matter of ticking some corporate social responsibility boxes. The issue of landfill waste is a significant concern - and it could be about to become more acute in parts of the UK.

A Scottish Landfill Problem

Scotland’s government has plans to end the dumping of non-inert bagged waste from dustbins in landfill sites from the end of this year, including food, textiles, paper and wood. When this breaks down in landfill, the result is the release of methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2.

That may sound like a smart environmental move, not least as the other part of the plan is to incinerate it in energy-from-waste plants, converting household refuse into renewable power.

Unfortunately, according to the experts, there will not be nearly enough incinerator capacity in place by the end of the year to do all this. Zero Waste Scotland estimates the gap is about 600,000 tonnes of waste in the first 12 months of the scheme.

Speaking to the BBC, waste expert from ERS Remediation David Balmer said the solution may involve Scottish councils looking to send their excess rubbish to England, piling it up higher in sites south of the border.

“You’re looking at the equivalent of between 80 and 100 trucks minimum running seven days a week to take this material to a facility in England or abroad,” he warned.

Cabinet secretary for climate action and energy in the Scottish government, Gillian Martin, told the BBC Good Morning Scotland programme that the situation will be “temporary”, with inflation and initial build cost hampering the establishment of sufficient facilities, although more will be in action next year to close the gap.

An English Landfill Problem?

This raises some significant questions for the situation in England. While not all landfill waste in Scotland is being banned - inert materials can still be buried - the prospect now is that 2026 could see more waste piling up in English sites. That adds to the smell for those living nearby, encourages gulls and vermin and threatens more pollution.

That alone is a good reason to be careful with the kind of packaging that we use. The good news with using cardboard - both on the outside and inside - is that it is recyclable, which means as long as local authorities recycle it properly, it won’t cause a lasting problem to the environment.

By contrast, some materials can have even worse consequences than methane production if they end up in landfill. This is especially true when plastic packaging is used, a major component being bubble wrap, which is useful for protecting items from damage but produces vast amounts of plastic waste.

It is not just that plastic takes centuries to break down and will therefore help pile landfill ever higher if not disposed of properly; it contains some chemicals that, as they slowly leach into the environment, may be harmful not just for animals, but for us.

Everybody’s Fertility Problem?

Indeed, some chemicals could even cause reduced fertility, not just in animals, but humans too.

This was the alarming conclusion of a University of York study, which examined river water across the UK for traces of such chemicals, with high levels of Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a substance found in many household items, being a notable finding.

Of the 32 rivers examined, the only one without traces of TFA was the River Ness as it flowed through Inverness, a small city with water emanating from the third deepest lake in Europe.

By contrast, the highest levels of TFA were found in the River Kelvin in Glasgow, while several rivers in North Yorkshire also saw high levels.

Professor of environmental science at the university Alistair Boxall said while there are means of removing TFAs from drinking water, they are “very expensive and likely impractical”. It is better, he added, to stop them getting into the water to start with.

Landfill waste comes from many sources, from food packaging to worn-out household items. But delivery packages are a contributory factor. That is why using custom cardboard inside and out can help make the whole business of waste disposal less polluting and lead to more recycling.