How packaging can help reduce waste

Each year, we send around four million tonnes of perfectly good, nutritious food to landfill. Aside from the social, economic and moral implications of that waste, the environmental cost of producing all that food and to not putting it to use is staggering.

When food is thrown away, the majority of it ends up in landfill, where it rots and releases harmful methane gas into the atmosphere. Collectively, the impact of food waste is greater than we think, as we cannot discount the wasted energy that went into harvesting, processing and distributing that food.

The high level of food waste in Australia is due to industry inefficiencies and a lack of consumer education; from labelling to supply chain issues, lack of stock rotation, inadequate refrigeration and consumers not understanding the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates.

With the agriculture industry increasingly threatened by climate change and a ballooning global population coupled with urbanisation, it’s clear we need to ensure no food is needlessly wasted. And packaging can play an important part in ensuring product shelf life is maximised and food becomes more accessible.

To secure significant waste reduction, we need to educate consumers so they can make smarter buying decisions and manage their groceries effectively.

By teaching where and why food is wasted, we can generate increased awareness and identify opportunities to help change consumer behaviour.

For example, if consumers understand that portion or vacuum skin packaging helps extend shelf life, they are more likely to purchase products in packaging that keeps it fresh for longer. And when consumers are educated enough to make these type of buying decisions, less food is thrown into domestic bins. Longer shelf life can also reduce trips to the supermarket, ultimately resulting in fewer miles driven and a cleaner atmosphere.

Supply chains have recently taken centre stage in the move towards a more socially responsible society. The 2013 United Nations Global Compact Corporate Sustainability Report found that companies are increasingly discussing supply chain sustainability.

By addressing inefficiencies within the supply chain, manufacturers can make huge leaps towards less wasteful business operations. Starting with the traditional measurements of cost and performance and then looking beyond them to consider the entire value chain — including sourcing, distribution, usage and recycling — manufacturers can address social and environmental challenges without sacrificing cost competitiveness or performance.

Through this process, food manufacturers and retailers can make more informed choices that take the entire product life cycle into account and reduce overall environmental impact, whilst also guaranteeing economic viability. 

Discussions around climate change tend to position packaging as part of the problem, instead of a crucial part of the solution. But technological advances mean packaging can now be in the vanguard in the fight against food waste. 

As said, packaging that uses vacuum and oxygen scavenging technology can substantially extend product quality and shelf life by reducing oxidation and the resultant degradation of many food products. This equals products that stay on retail shelves or in consumers’ fridges for longer compared to non-vacuum methods of packing.

Ensuring a clean environment in food processing rooms can also have a critical impact on shelf life. Hybrid hygiene systems are good options, as they offer greater cling to improve sanitation while reducing water usage.

The solution to food waste can only emerge from increased awareness and collaboration across related industries. Food manufacturers and retailers must both commit to conserving resources and making the world a better place with improved food safety, healthier environments, sustainable supply chains and thoughtful waste management strategies.

These efforts must be combined with educational programs and clear labelling so the industry can empower every consumer to make their best efforts to tackle food waste.

Gareth Reynolds is Executive Director of Marketing ANZ, Food Care, Sealed Air. His responsibilities include working with customers to deliver differentiated, sustainable solutions throughout the value chain. Prior to this, he held a range of leadership positions across the food packaging industry; from developing packaging solutions with Darex for food and beverages to R&D roles with global organisations such as Akzo Nobel.