packaging to prevent food waste - iwrc.uni.edu · a roadmap to reduce u.s. food waste by 20...
TRANSCRIPT
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Packaging To Prevent
Food Waste
Midwest Food Recovery Summit
September 7th, 2017
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Who We Are
GOAL To maximize the reduction of food waste through prevention and
extension of shelf life utilizing sustainable packaging solutions
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Our Network
50+ MEMBERS & PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDING:
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Our Work
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What is food packaging?
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• Primary- What consumers buy and take home
• Secondary - What protects and stores primary packaging (e.g., shelf/retail-ready packaging)
• Tertiary- What is used for shipping/transport(e.g., pallets, skids)
Packaging Types
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ALL components of the product/package system help prevent food waste!
Image source: Tetra-Pak
The Role of Packaging
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The Food Value Chain
Consumer
Raw material transportation
Manufacturing/ processing
Warehousing/ storage
Finished goods transportation
Point of purchase –Retail or Food Service Post-consumer
Product source – Farm
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Why are different foods packaged in different ways?
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Packaging considerations for fresh and processed food may include but are not limited to:
- Material selection & weight- Chemical characteristics- Handling efficiencies- Easy to open, dispense and close- Warehousing, stocking and stacking- Packaging line efficiency- Packaging design & dimensions
Packaging depends on what is being packaged
Source: RMIT, 2013
- Product containment- Product quality- Product safety and hygiene- Product protection and preservation- Product shelf life- Product convenience- Portion sizing
Image Source: Chantler Packaging
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Flexible packaging extends shelf life (by days)
Why do we package food?
Source: https://www.flexpack.org/sustainable-packaging/food-waste-reduction/
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Share of Global Food Loss and Waste By Commodity
Food Waste By Commodity
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste-extent, causes and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.
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Sunset®
- Gas permeable label with micro-perforations replenishes depleted oxygen and lets excess CO2 out
- Extends shelf from 14 days post harvest to 23 days
Example
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How does packaging prevent food waste?
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How does packaging prevent food waste?
Key functions of packaging to tackle food waste
PROTECT PRODUCT
EXTEND SHELF LIFE
PROMOTE BEHAVIOR CHANGE
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Food Waste in Households
1 ReFED. (2016). A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent.2 VCMI. (2014). “27 Billion” Revisited. The Cost of Canada’s Annual Food Waste.3 European Commission. (2016). FUSIONS. Estimates of European food waste levels.
Population Estimated Value of Total Food Wasted
Estimated % of Food Waste in Value
Chain Occurring in Households
U.S. 323 million $218 billion USD 43%1
Canada 36 million $31 billion CAD ($24 billion USD)
47%2
EU-28 510 million $143 billion Euros($168 billion USD)
53%3
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Pre-Consumption
Solutions that protect the product and extend shelf life and freshness
Damage preventionCold-chain managementModified atmosphere packaging (MAP)Scavenger technologies – oxygen, ethyleneVacuum packagingMoisture barriersAnti-microbial packagingAseptic packaging
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Consumption
Solutions that provide consumer convenience and allow for improved food storage practices
Portion packagingResealable packagingDesigns for easy product removalProduct information on preparation, storage, useDate labeling
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Post-Consumption
New research suggests compostable packaging can help increase food scrap diversion where infrastructure exists- Applies to ‘nutrient-contaminated’ packaging
(e.g., foodservice, take-out, coffee pods)
Image Source: Packaging Digest
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More packaging
Less food waste
Trade-offs
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Perception vs. Reality
Harris Poll 2014 commissioned by Sealed Air
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Perception vs. Reality
Harris Poll 2014 commissioned by Sealed Air
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Single-Serve Coffee Case Study
Capsule life cycle impacts are less than 15% of the total carbon footprint of the single serve system
39,000 – 116,900 tones of potential avoided coffee waste from either loss of freshness or over preparation1
capsule transportation 3%
capsule production 9%
coffee preparation 36%
coffee production 41%
capsule end-of-life 2%
1Calculation based on wastage rate of 5% to 15% from combined US & Canada Euromonitor International data
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Finding the Right Balance
Negative
environmental
impact
Increasing
packaging
material useMinimum material
OverpackagingUnderpackaging
Optimum Pack
Design
Minimum
environmental
impact
Diagram courtesy of Innventia AB
Protect productPrevent damageReduce food waste
Reduce amount of material and types usedSource the right materialsView product-package systemOptimize end-of-life options
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The Circular Economy & Zero Waste
Technical cyclesBiological cycles
‘Circular economy’
Food
RecyclablePackaging +
CompostablePackaging
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• Business- Ecommerce growth- Omni-channel marketing – more web-based- Light weighting and transportation savings
• Consumer- On-the-go lifestyle – convenience and cost savings- Smaller households – portion sizing- Tech savvy and well-informed- Health and environment conscious – local, organic
• Technology- Intelligent packaging (e.g., smart labels)- Traceability and safety (e.g., sensor tags, QR codes)- Nanotechnology (e.g., anti-microbial)
Changing Trends
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Potential for packaging
Source: © Euromonitor International, 2015
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The Opportunity
Packaging must make sense!
- If not packaged, can packaging help reduce product damage and loss?
- Where packaging exists, can the packaging be improved to extend shelf life?
- Is the packaging size and product count appropriate for the targeted market?
Potential financial benefits:Packaging adjustments = $3,443/tonSpoilage prevention packaging = $2,326/ton(ReFED, 2016)
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Packaging will continue to play a critical role to prevent food waste
Shift consumer mindset on food waste vs. packaging waste
Bringing packaging solutions to scale will present significant economic opportunity
In summary…
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Webinar on September 13th
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Thank you!
Rachel A. Morier, MES
Director of Sustainability
PAC Packaging Consortium
pacfoodwaste.com