There are a few environmental downsides to glassine:
Virgin paper:Glassine is almost always made with virgin paper due to the long fiber length required to produce the unique material. For various reasons, recycled content is always preferred, particularly regarding paper, whose raw materials pose a risk to our primary forests.
Carbon footprint:Because of the high heat required to produce glassine, it is more carbon-intensive than traditional paper. When compared to thin film, glassine has a significantly higher carbon footprint (even more so than the gap between clear poly film and standard paper).
Resource consumption:Paper, particularly glassine paper, consumes water and energy at a significantly higher rate than the clear film the material is often replacing.
Awareness of glassine’s environmental downsides is essential, as it helps brands more thoughtfully navigate the decision-making process when evaluating glassine versus standard paper versus poly film.
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