Reducing food waste with smart packaging

 

Almost 1/3 of all the food the world produces never gets consumed, according to the United Nations. Feeding our rapidly growing world is a huge global challenge, and packaging can play an important role in meeting it.

More and better packaging can minimise food waste and actually help the environment – although many consumers have a different perception. In fact, independent research has shown that, while the production of food makes up 70% of the total environmental impact of food production and its post-production cooling nearly 30%, packaging represents less than 1% of the total impact. However, packaging plays a huge role in extending shelf life and, thereby, can impact food waste.

Finding a cost-effective solution
There are many ways to increase shelf life through packaging. Sometimes it’s by using sealable packaging or smaller containers. Skin packaging and modified atmosphere packaging can often play a role. For us it’s about finding the right solution for your product.

Although retailer requirements and national regulations vary, we’ll always work with you to meet your specific demands as cost-effectively as possible.

Consider how these customers – and the environment – benefited:

  • A change in packaging can help a  manufacturer increase shelf life from 30 to 50 days, and make a huge profit when exporting their products to new markets as well as decrease the likelihood of food waste
  • Adding just a single day of shelf life to a product via packaging meant that a fish producer could reach new markets and limit waste. Furthermore, since they fetch unsold products from retailers, the change also impacts the frequency with which they have to send trucks to retail locations