Role of Packaging in Preventing Food Waste

Effective packaging, like vacuum skin innovations, can reduce shrink and increase shelf life—sometimes nearly doubling it. This helps retailers tackle the problems of food loss and waste and ultimately improve their bottom lines.

Secondly, the rising demand for smaller portions due to shrinking household sizes and the need to protect food during e-commerce delivery increases the need for innovative packaging solutions to portion and protect food. For example, as shoppers change the way they plan for meals and make more use of meal kits, novel packaging solutions that extend shelf life like barrier bags and modified-atmosphere packaging are needed to deliver the high-quality products consumers demand while ensuring food safety.

Creating a Conversation

While sustainable packaging is not new, companies are increasingly opting for packaging alternatives to meet their own sustainability goals as well as consumer demands.

A 2014 Harris Poll Consumer Food Waste Study, commissioned by Sealed Air, showed that consumers are becoming more educated about packaging and its ability to reduce food waste, and have strong opinions about brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. Here are some other interesting findings from the poll:

• 8 in 10 consumers agree that they would think more highly of stores or food brands that help them reduce food waste;
• 57 percent would think more favorably of a store if it used packaging that kept food fresher longer; and
• 43 percent of consumers consider food products that have packaging designed to keep food fresher longer to be environmentally friendly.

It is important for the industry to engage consumers in continued conversation around the role of packaging in extending freshness of food and reducing waste—something that impacts both the environment and consumers’ wallets.

Looking Ahead

Addressing food waste is a major concern that all stakeholders in the global supply chain must address in the future. The packaging industry has a major role to play. By focusing on solutions to increase product shelf life and increase distribution efficiency, innovative packaging does more than affect the sell-by date consumers might see on their products; it shapes the production-to-purchase process and can support the global goal of reducing food waste.

In addition, there will be a number of resource challenges, from changing climate and weather patterns impacting harvesting programs to a growing population and potential water and food scarcity issues. While it may not be possible to solve each one of these issues overnight, investing in smart, sustainable food packaging is a great place to start.

Deily joined Sealed Air in 1981, starting his career with Cryovac in R&D working in the applications development group. Named President of Food Care in November of 2011, Deily leads the Food Care Division that creates packaging and hygiene solutions. Reach him at [email protected].