Food waste & Plastic Packaging | Adapt
Food waste & Plastic Packaging
Home Circular Economy Food waste & Plastic Packaging
1/3 of the food produced goes to the trash. If it weren’t for the plastic the number would approach 2/3
Willy Gooseman – Facebook
The Plastic Industry efforts today can be measured in life cycle studies that demonstrate that lightweight plastic packaging typically use less material than alternatives, which results in less packaging waste, and also uses less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions. And studies today also find that packaging can be part of the solution for tackling food waste by helping prevent food spoilage and ensure food quality and safety along the supply chain and at home.
Despite the critical role of modern plastic packaging in preventing both packaging waste and food waste, opinion surveys generally find that most of us are unaware or skeptical of these contributions. So it’s helpful to highlight these contributions – repeatedly, loudly & compellingly.
Packaging made with plastic helps prevent food waste by providing barriers to oxygen, light, temperatures, moisture, microbes, and other factors that lead to spoilage. In addition, it can contribute to important consumer benefits such as appearance, freshness, convenience, and portion control, which also can help reduce wasted food.
And these advances keep coming … plastic vacuum packaging for meat that can result in 75 percent less food waste than store-wrapped meat … active packaging that incorporates antimicrobials to help fend off spoilage … plastic sensors under development that could monitor a food’s actual freshness.
Wasted food today is the most prevalent material in landfills, according to EPA[1]. Decomposing food becomes a significant source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But it’s impact goes way beyond landfills and air emissions. As EPA[2] notes:
“There are many resources needed to grow food, including water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy. By wasting food, you are also wasting the resources that went into growing it.”
[1] http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/fd-faq.htm
[2] http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/
Tags: #foodwaste, #plasticpackaging