Protecting food and preventing spoilage have always been prerequisites for food
packaging. From plastic bread bags to vacuum packaging for all types of meats
and cheeses, plastics allow food producers to reach faraway markets and give
customers peace of mind that their food is safe and secure.
At the same time, the statistics on both food waste and plastic waste remain
stark and sobering. A recent United Nations
report finds that 17 percent of
food produced globally is wasted each year, amounting to one billion tons of
food waste and accounting for an estimated 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions. And earlier this year, The Washington
Post
reported that “the carbon footprint of US food waste is greater than that of the
airline industry.”
Meanwhile, the packaging industry is working furiously to address the issue of
plastic waste and create a circular future for
packaging.
Great work is being done to create packaging that is 100 percent recyclable and
100 percent recycled.
While there is no doubt that packaging waste must be addressed, it must be
considered alongside the issue of food waste. If the goal is to minimize overall
GHG emissions, and conserve resources such as water and land, then companies
must use a balanced scorecard to ensure we make the best decisions to protect
the environment.
Fortunately, advances in more sustainable plastic food packaging are helping to
delay spoilage across the food production cycle.
The Food & Specialty Packaging team at Dow is focused on ways to both maximize
the shelf life of most foods and minimize the amount of packaging used. As an
example, let’s consider the lifecycle of meat and how packaging can maximize
freshness:
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Packaging format matters: Sealed polystyrene trays with cling film offer
only minimal shelf life (7-10 days), and they have some of the highest
weights of any current meat packaging formats. The good news is that other
packaging formats offer lower packaging weight and longer shelf life than
polystyrene with cling film. For example, shifting to vacuum thermoformed or
vacuum-skin packaging can extend shelf life to about three weeks while
minimizing packaging weight.
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Sealants are game changers: The right sealant can help prevent drip loss
and keep packages fresher, longer. It can also minimize leaks.
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Durability is critical: The right mix of stiffness and toughness is
essential for protection, especially for e-commerce applications. If the
package is punctured or torn at any point, spoiled meats and their negative
environmental impacts are practically unavoidable.
As we work to create more sustainable packaging, we must take a hard look at how
our choices affect shelf life and food waste. We have a unique opportunity,
created by the shift to recyclable and reusable packaging, to consider
alternative formats and designs that will minimize plastic and food waste.
Marketing Director, Food and Specialty Packaging
Dow
Published Jun 25, 2021 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST