New
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Advantages and disadvantages of plastic food packaging
I can describe advantages and disadvantages of plastic food packaging.
Lesson 5 of 5
New
New
- Year 9
Advantages and disadvantages of plastic food packaging
I can describe advantages and disadvantages of plastic food packaging.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Many foods are sold packaged in plastic, which is usually made from non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels
- Plastic waste in landfills and oceans is a pollutant that takes a long time to degrade and can harm organisms
- Biodegradable bioplastics made from renewable resources are a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic packaging
- Plastic packaging helps prevents food spoilage and reduces food waste
- We must weigh up the benefits of using plastic packaging against emissions from production and damage to biodiversity
Keywords
Plastic - a man-made material, usually made from fossil fuels
Pollutant - a substance that can harm living organisms when it is released into an ecosystem
Biodiversity - the range of different living organisms (species) in an ecosystem
Biodegradable - can be broken down by living organisms, including microorganisms
Sustainable - can be carried out over a long period of time with little or no negative impact on the environment
Common misconception
Thinking that plastic food packaging only has disadvantages, due to its effects as a pollutant in oceans and land ecosystems.
This lesson explores the advantages of plastic packaging in reducing food waste, alongside the risks it can pose to biodiversity.
Pupils may not feel they have much agency in being able to reduce the use and impacts of plastic food packaging. This issue is addressed in Task B.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is not an example of a fossil fuel?
Which of these is not an example of a fossil fuel?
coal
gas
oil
Q2.What is a pollutant?
What is a pollutant?
A material made by plants.
A natural resource that we obtain from an ecosystem.
A substance this is found naturally in ecosystems.
Q3.An activity is sustainable if …
An activity is sustainable if …
… it takes a long time to complete it.
…. it harms the environment but does not take a long time to complete.
Q4.According to the bar chart, which food has the lowest carbon footprint of greenhouse gas emissions?
According to the bar chart, which food has the lowest carbon footprint of greenhouse gas emissions?
Q5.According to the bar chart, which stage of producing chocolate contributes the most emissions to chocolate’s carbon footprint?
According to the bar chart, which stage of producing chocolate contributes the most emissions to chocolate’s carbon footprint?
Farming
Processing
Transport
Packaging
Q6.The word means the range of different species living in a place.
The word means the range of different species living in a place.
Q1 image 3 IhorL/Shutterstock.com Q4 Greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain, adapted from original (https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local), Hannah Ritchie , 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114706754 Q5 Greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain, adapted from original (https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local), Hannah Ritchie , 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114706754
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each word to its correct definition.
Match each word to its correct definition.
Q2.True or false? A biodegradable material can be broken down by living organisms e.g. bacteria
True or false? A biodegradable material can be broken down by living organisms e.g. bacteria
False
Q3.Which of these types of food packaging is biodegradable?
Which of these types of food packaging is biodegradable?
Glass made from minerals
Metal made from minerals
Plastic made from fossil fuels
Q4.What can biodegradable bioplastic be made from?
What can biodegradable bioplastic be made from?
Carboard coated with regular plastic
Fossil fuels
Recycled regular plastic
Q5.Who identifies how plastic food packaging can help to limit climate change?
Who identifies how plastic food packaging can help to limit climate change?
Jun: It is made from fossil fuels so causes few emissions.
Sam: It makes things taste nicer.
Jacob: It can harm biodiversity when it pollutes ecosystems.
Q6.True or false? Eating fruit and vegetables instead of meat will reduce emissions more than buying food without plastic packaging.
True or false? Eating fruit and vegetables instead of meat will reduce emissions more than buying food without plastic packaging.
False
Q6 Greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain, adapted from original (https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local), Hannah Ritchie , 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114706754
