Sustainable Packaging: The Need of the Hour

Every day, hundreds of millions of single-use containers, cans, trays, and cutlery are thrown away around the world. While packaging is an essential component of the food sector and the only solution we have to facilitate food transportation, food packaging waste is also one of the most harmful aspects of this industry. We outline the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular materials used to wrap groceries and takeaway foods and explore innovative sustainable food packaging that could revolutionise the market and protect the environment.

- Kanika Banga

Understanding sustainable packaging Sustainability is no longer a marketing jargon. Businesses are developing and using packaging materials and involving increased use of life cycle inventory to reduce the ecological footprint. The significant momentum gained by the circular economy has drawn the attention of packaging giants and the government to respond to concerns associated with packaging waste and its impact on the environment. As an implementation step, businesses are adopting packaging solutions made from seaweed and plants, honeycomb papers and plant fibres and pulp as an alternative to non-recyclable packaging materials. This significantly reduces environmental waste and improves waste management processes.

Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean, as per the Ocean Conservancy Survey. This waste is piled on an estimated 150 million metric tons of waste already floating in oceans globally. The increasing use of nonrecyclable packaging solutions impacts aquatic life and leads to high carbon emissions. Some progressive countries like Germany, France and the United Kingdom are deploying robust recycling solutions. Moreover, Asian countries like Thailand and India have already imposed a nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags to reduce environmental exposure to plastic waste.

Single-use packaging is taking a huge toll on our environment. Almost all food containers we see in grocery stores typically made of glass, metal, plastic, or paperboard cannot be reused for their original function, such in the case of aluminium cans and most plastic bags. However, food contamination is a big consideration. Though some types of packaging might be suitable to be reused, some experts have raised hygiene concerns in replacing single-use food service ware with reusable items, both within the food retail and the restaurant industries.