There is considerable evidence that climate change has occurred due to human activities, and to deal with it, most countries have plans to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that enter the atmosphere. These gases, especially carbon dioxide, cause global warming. Therefore, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will definitely help the environment. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must first measure our carbon footprint. Carbon footprint can be calculated for a product, service, person or even a country. Most of this concept is used to understand the impact of human activities on the Earth’s climate. The standard unit for measuring carbon footprint is carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e). Although CO2 e refers to the combined measurement of six types of greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), dinitrogen monoxide (N2o), fluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), but Carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas.
Translation
In order for the business to be carbon-friendly, first of all, it is necessary to gain the necessary knowledge about which of the operational activities that cause the emission of carbon dioxide in order to measure the company’s carbon footprint. There are always many options in terms of production, energy consumption, transportation methods, supply chain, packaging and even marketing so that the business can choose a more sustainable option.
Bioplastics, like plant-based disposable containers, are carbon neutral even when burning them releases carbon dioxide. The carbon in bioplastics comes from photosynthesis, where atmospheric carbon dioxide is stored by plants and converted into glucose. Glucose can then be converted into more complex molecules such as sugars, starches, oils and proteins. Sugars and starches are converted into bioethanol or lactic acid and oils into biodiesel. Therefore, carbon from the atmosphere is stored in the plant for several months and is returned to the atmosphere twice after the combustion of biofuels. For every gram of carbon dioxide released from the combustion of a bioplastic, one gram was removed from the atmosphere several months ago through photosynthesis. This perfect balance indicates that bioplastics are as carbon neutral as disposable plant-based containers. In addition, these containers will not release toxic gases into the atmosphere when burned, and the remaining ash is non-toxic. Therefore, when they are left in the landfill, they will not cause soil and water pollution. This is despite the fact that when plastics burn, they introduce carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and lead to an increase in greenhouse gases. Therefore, people can go towards having a carbon neutral society by using the purchase of plant containers, which is considered a type of bioplastic, or by using alternative energies.
In cases where avoiding fossil fuel consumption is impossible, people can focus on efficiency to minimize their fossil fuel consumption and use biofuels when they are available. This makes them not have an impact on the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, in other words, it brings them closer to having a carbon neutral society.