Renewable-Material Food Packaging: A Practical Answer to Food Waste

Citing UN Food and Agriculture Organization figures, the International Information Packaging Network reports that hundreds of millions of tonnes of food produced for human consumption are thrown away or wasted worldwide each year before they ever reach a plate — a substantial share of total global food production. Some of it is lost in transit, some is discarded by restaurants, and some is wasted at retail stores.

Dairy products, fruit and vegetables rank among the categories that demand the most careful handling during transport and sale. In fact, every food product needs proper transport and storage — robust protection plus the right temperature — to arrive in good condition. Without it, it simply becomes part of the waste stream.

Producing and moving food consumes enormous resources, water and energy among them. Wasted food also accounts for a significant slice of global greenhouse gas emissions. And the issue is an ethical one too: hundreds of millions of people around the world still go hungry.

If food waste could be meaningfully reduced, a moderate amount of arable land and matching productivity would be enough to meet humanity's need for food and nutrition — and emissions from production would fall accordingly.

Food waste is therefore an environmental, economic and moral challenge at once, and well-designed packaging is one of the practical tools for tackling it.

Fiber-based packaging materials raise the bar on food safety

Keeping food fresh and safe all the way from farm to table — while improving sustainability across the entire value chain — is the central question food brands bring to their packaging material and packaging solution partners.

Certain chemicals in food packaging can migrate into the product on contact, while unhygienic packaging materials may allow pathogenic microorganisms to exceed safe limits and trigger food poisoning incidents. Packaging made from virgin, high-quality fiber is among the most reassuring and reliable options; it forms part of a sustainable product cycle and delivers safe, sustainable choices for a wide range of applications.

A good food package must also stand up to shifting transport conditions such as high heat and high humidity — critical for shelf life and for cutting food waste. Because wood-fiber packaging is recyclable, choosing it is also a responsible purchasing decision.

Demand for healthier lifestyles is a defining trend of our time. Consumers want to live in an eco-friendly way and are actively seeking solutions with a lighter environmental footprint.

Chinese consumers generally regard paper-based materials more favorably than alternatives. When paper is compared with plastic across eight attributes — eco-friendliness, ease of use, shape, safety, appearance, texture, gift suitability and premium feel — paper packaging comes out ahead on every one.

Not every shopper will automatically favor greener packaging, but at the moment a package is discarded, environmental awareness tends to peak.

As green purchasing awareness matures, sustainable packaging will move from being an option to being a requirement.

The secret is in circular packaging design

A growing number of multinational companies have pledged to replace plastics in their operations and products, or to switch to more recyclable packaging in order to shrink their carbon footprint.

Does heavier packaging mean better packaging? Not at all. A high-quality pack is not the same as an over-specified one. Rightsizing means less material and lower weight, which trims carbon dioxide emissions in transport and brings packaging costs down. That resource efficiency sits at the heart of every sound packaging solution.

Board packaging made from renewable wood fiber recycles easily, making it a greener choice than most alternatives. In Europe, fiber-based packaging already achieves a very high recycling rate.

Building recyclability and circularity in from the very start of product development multiplies the positive impact on sustainability, the environment and society. As renewable-material food packaging gains ground, it will also open up fresh thinking on the food waste problem — while strengthening food safety, answering consumers' green expectations and helping food brands deliver on their sustainability pledges.

—Reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-379060.html