World Oceans Day: What Do We Know About Seafood Packaging?

Internationally, we celebrate World Oceans Day annually on June 8. This holiday was recognized by the United Nation to commemorate the impact of the oceans in our everyday life as well as the significance of the  role that the ocean plays in our ecosystem.

To observe World Oceans Day, the UN chooses a different theme each year to appreciate different aspects of the ocean.  Hoping to raise awareness of preserving the ocean, the UN has announced this year’s theme as  “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean.” 

Korea also celebrates Ocean Day on May 31 to promote the marine industry and to appreciate the hard work of the workers in the industry.

In honor of World Oceans Day, we would like to take a look at the materials used in packaging of the fishery products on the journey to our table.  

Transporting seafood fresh to the wholesale market with fish boxes

In Korea, various fishery products are kept in fish boxes from the moment they are caught and delivered to the wholesale market, either frozen or alive. These fish boxes are mostly made of wood, plastic, or paper to load seafood.

Wooden fish boxes are the most commonly used due to them being solid, cheap, and convenient. However, its problem with hygiene, such as rotting, bacterial reproduction, and unrecyclable, is inevitable.

The other commonly used fish boxes are made with paper. Paper fish boxes are mainly used in deep-sea fishery industries, for cost-efficiency. However, the problem is that it can cause lung cancer since these boxes are coated with water resistance and repellency inside and out; dioxin is released during the process of incineration.

Though, more than 6 million paper fish boxes are used to distribute the pacific saury each year. Of course, they are not recyclable and are sorted as waste.  

 

<Busan fish market in South Korea>

On the other hand, plastic fish boxes can be used multiple times and are hygienic, but the price is three times higher than the wooden boxes, which can be demanding.

To lessen the burden, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries grants a certain cost of the fish box. Yet, the percentage of usage of plastic fish boxes is only at 18.4%; whereas wooden boxes are 44.6% and paper boxes are 25.4%.

 

Fresh seafood delivered in Styrofoam to consumers, but what is it made out of?

When you order various seafood online, you would receive them safely in a white and solid Styrofoam in as short as half a day to as long as in two days. Styrofoam boxes are the most commonly used when various fishery products are delivered from the wholesale market to local retailers or to consumers directly.

           

Expanded polystyrene, EPS, is the official name of this Styrofoam; the word Styrofoam is a t

rademark of Dow Chemical. 

EPS is a shipping packaging that is thermal, durable, and cost-efficient. EPS is a colorless,

transparent thermoplastic material that is lightweight and affordable, inflating 2% of resin 

with 98% hot air.

EPS is a buffer material and is widely used as a building material due to its excellent heat insulation, sound insulation, and constructability, and is widely used in various products and food packaging. Particularly in the food sector, the low-temperature refrigeration distribution market, such as fresh food and medicine, is growing at 15% every year, and so EPS plays an important role in the cold chain.

EPS Styrofoam, why it can't be used lightly

Some argue that EPS Styrofoam packaging does more harm than good when chosen for 

its merit of cost efficiency and delivering seafood fresh and safely.

Some states in America, such as California, New York, and Massachusetts, have issued a statewide ban prohibiting the use of EPS packaging. These states announced that EPS packaging can develop carcinogens and neurotoxins, which can cause central nervous system problems. Additionally, when EPS packaging is used for hot food or beverages, it can cause digestive and reproductive system problems.

In Virginia, EPS food container services have been banned until July 2023, and specific dates of compliance and civil penalties were stipulated for violations.

Costa Rica may be a small country in Central America but has global biodiversity of 6%.  In 2018, under President Alvarado's guidelines, the use of disposable plastic was restricted, especially banning the import, marketing, and distribution of EPS containers nationwide.

There are also opinions that raise questions about the production process of EPS.  Hydrocarbons generated during production are combined with nitrogen oxides in the air, which creates substances that can cause respiratory diseases.  Furthermore, non-recyclable garbage is a severe cause of poisoning and suffocating the ecosystem.

In addition, EPS becomes substantially toxic when it decomposes into microscopic pieces under direct sunlight in the sea and combined with other harmful substances.   If small marine animals mistake this micro-decomposed substance for food and ingest it, it will eventually end up on our table through the food chain.

So far, there is no specific data on how microplastics affect the human body, but researchers continue to warn us about the effects of polystyrene and other harmful substances that we may end up consuming.

<segye.com>

What about resource circulation?

In the 2000s, Korea invigorated and improved the recycling system with the EPR ( Extended Producer Responsibility) which reached a Styrofoam recycling rate of 73%. Ingot, recycled raw material, is produced by compressing selectively collected Styrofoam at 100℃ and is ready to be exported.

However, many researchers have predicted this could result in futile consequences if the cost of recycled material decreases or the production of new products becomes lower than the cost of separating and recycling even with growth in the related market, considering the immoderate cost of cleaning and removing contaminants, transporting, storing and disposing waste of the ocean.

Besides, not many countries are equipped with recycling systems that the rate of biodegradability and compostability is extremely low, which makes it difficult to circulate organic resources since it takes longer than 500 years for EPS to decay.

The Styrofoam that is currently floating in the ocean may be seen by our distant descendants.

 

How about the safety of our ocean?

Over the past three years, the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has conducted research on the types of marine debris disposed of on the coast of Korea. Of that debris, 30% is foamed plastics, mostly Styrofoams from fish farms, including EPS boxes, and the number is increasing even as we speak.

<Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries>

Recent trends of various fresh food delivery packaging materials

Styrofoam boxes aren't the only option for keeping fishery products or cold chain foods fresh, there are also various types of paper boxes.

This morning, you probably received the squid, mackerel, milk, pork, and bean sprouts that you ordered last night. If you order now, nice sashimi delivered directly by air will be delivered to your home this evening. In order to maintain freshness, the delivery box needs to prevent condensation and be moisture-proof.

In this summer weather, if the paper absorbs moisture generated on the surface of the 

box due to the temperature difference, the box may get wet and the food may melt.

 

Because of this, paper boxes with aluminum (VM-PET) applied on the inside or insulation 

boxes that are made by applying LDPE, PE foam resins, and aluminum deposition films to 

corrugated paper are used.

                                   <products with VM-PET Film>                                                 <corrugated boxes processed with film on the inside>

To preserve the environment, our goal is to eventually stop the use of plastic packaging. Thus, it is jubilant to see various attempts made to reduce plastic packaging.

Yet, these composites are difficult to recycle and it may cause confusion to consumers with greenwashing..

What can we do to sustain our ocean?

In the past, the final consumers’ only concern was receiving the proper service or goods.

As our society matures, perspectives have changed.  We began paying more attention to human rights, social structure, systems, etc.

Recently, there is a growing awareness that we should take joint responsibility for the environment and ecology.

If these conveniences of lightweight Styrofoam packaging destroy and threaten the environment, we won’t be able to take this so lightly.  Your actions may not bring immediate changes but without those actions of each individual, the change will never be made.

In honor of this World Oceans day, why don’t we take a small step as a member of the ecosystem to give back something to the ocean that has always been there to provide us?

 

If you ordered fresh seafood delivery in Styrofoam or sweet fruit box,

 

1.     Remove the adhesive tape and sticker from the box, wash it well, and separate it.

2.     Colored trays used in supermarkets for meat and fish are coated types, so throw them out into trash bags.

3.     Styrofoam used in individual packaging of fruits in gift boxes is EPE, inflated PE, which should be thrown out in trash bags.

4.     The thin and white Styrofoam in the fruit box is PS, so it can be put in the recycle bins.

 

 

We can all benefit from properly separating even Styrofoam packaging to recycle, and 

save our ocean.

Let’s raise our hope for happier aquaculture on World Oceans Day 2023.

"Revitalization: collective action for the ocean!"

<National Geographic magazine>

 

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