The Cultural Dimension of Policy and Packaging Sustainability
A history lesson on feudalism reveals why recycling works so much better in Europe than in America.
January 3, 2023
Have you been to Europe? Have you noticed that many of the towns are high on hilltops and walled, with the main buildings being castles and churches? Have you seen the beautiful farmland spreading out below the fortified towns? (Please use Google to find “Monteriggioni” and see photos of the most complete fortified town still standing in Italy, or “bastide ” to view similar towns in France.)
What you’re looking at are vestiges of the feudal times that defined the Middle Ages, with fiefdoms run by vassals who lived high up in the castles and serfs farming the land below. The land was generally held by the crown, with the vassals (barons) being the chief tenants.
In return for tending to the land and supplying food to the barons and the king, the serfs were protected and acculturated. They attended church within the walls of the upper town, and in times of war or natural disasters were also herded into the walls for safety. So, there was a certain quid pro quo: You tend to my land and feed me, and I will in turn protect you, provide you with necessary service, and allow you to feed and otherwise sustain yourselves.
European feudalism began to widely prevail in the 10th century, by which time most of the continent was Christian. The combination of centralized secular and religious authority that was either brought on by feudalism (or occurred during the height of its development between the 10th and 15th centuries) created 500 years of authoritarian rule that's still part of the genetic social code of most Europeans.
What does feudalism have to do with packaging sustainability?
A November 29, 2022, PlasticsToday article (The Global Landscape of Plastics Bans and Regulations) stated that, “