Declaring War on Waste

Elisabeth Skoda explores the role packaging can play when dealing with the challenge of making food last longer to combat waste.

Dr Helene Roberts, group marketing and innovation director at LINPAC, underlines the importance of packaging in the battle against food waste: “According to the European Commission, an estimated 100 million tonnes of food is wasted annually in the EU from farm to fork. Packaging has an instrumental role to play in addressing this by protecting, preserving and presenting food, helping to extend shelf life and cutting unnecessary food waste.”

Packaging is key

She emphasises the fact that the challenge for today’s packaging manufacturers is to add value to a pack’s core protective and preservative functions to establish packaging as a valuable resource, rather than a by-product: “Value can be added through greater resource efficiency, innovative design features and sustainable materials.”

Tom Garsed, marketing, design and innovation director at Graphic Packaging International, concurs.

“Without packaging, a high percentage of food would be lost before it even reaches the shelf. Apart from protecting and preserving, packaging’s secondary function is to create greater shelf presence, ensuring that the pack is selected and purchased, rather than left on the shelf and eventually put to waste.”

He adds that it is important packaging manufacturers drive sustainable and recyclable solutions, eliminating packaging waste as well as food waste.

“Many packaging materials are currently recyclable but localised infrastructure constraints and a lack of consumer education can lead to a high proportion of post-consumer material going to waste.”

Mark Lingard, marketing manager at Sirane, talks about how the Courtauld Commitment 2025 brought the topic of food waste to the top of the agenda across the industry.

“Both processors/packers and retailers looking to change. With fresh food – be it meat, poultry, seafood, fruit of vegetables – packaging can make a significant difference to the shelf-life, and increasing shelf-life has a positive direct on food waste – to some extent, it’s the same problem. The correct packaging can make the difference of at least a couple of days – more in some cases – which has a huge impact of profit margins.”

Jörg Sabo, Greiner Packaging’s marketing director mentions the changing requirements on food and packaging in recent years:”Consumers ask for high quality, fresh food with no preservatives which still have a long shelf life. Packs should protect the product and be easy to transport and to handle, and of course sustainable.” 

Urbanised demands

Dr Roberts observes that increasingly busy consumer lifestyles have led to rapid growth in the convenience and on-the-go food sectors. 

“Packaging innovation in these areas, such as a recent LINPAC sushi pack project with Mercadona, should now drive greater resource efficiency to meet the requirements of our customers. In this pack, a cavity has been introduced to the rigid rPET base tray. This enables chopsticks to be stored inside, removing the need for additional packaging.”

Mr Garsed observed the demand for a natural look and sustainable designs, as wider global trends drive greater eco-consciousness. 

“The challenge for packaging manufacturers is to meet the demand for premium natural, craft and artisan packaging that can be packed not only by hand but also on a machine-packed scale for mass production. At GPI our aim is to achieve optimum protective and preservative functionality, without losing the integrity of the original concept.” 

Mr Lingard notices a strong drive for increasing shelf life by a few days, which means less waste, less discounted food and therefore higher profits. 

“At Sirane we have invested a lot of time and research into developing effective anti-microbial packaging, and this is the product which is generating a lot of interest.”

Consumers ask for a long shelf life without the use of preservatives. Greiner therefore uses barrier functions – packaging should protect the goods inside without affecting the food inside. 

The reasons behind demand for barrier packaging are multiple, as Mr Sabo. explains: “Growing urbanisation means that more people in densely populated areas have to be supplied with goods with longer shelf life. Longer shelf life also plays a role in the face of an aging society. Older people require smaller portions that don’t have to be bought fresh every day. There is an increased trend for convenience and ready meals, and capsule systems for tea and coffee. Aroma protection, i.e. protection from oxygen is key. Finally, globalisation is a factor. More and more European companies export their products all over the world, and longer distances increase demand for barrier packaging prolonging shelf life.”

Greiner uses two different barrier technologies:  IBT (inert barrier technology), and MBT (multi barrier technology). With IBT, a chemically inert silicium oxide layer is applied to the plastic packaging, which protects the product from the packaging as well as outside influences, and with MBT, a special barrier layer such as EVOH or PA is embedded in the middle of a standard plastic, achieving a higher oxygen barrier. 

“IBT is a novelty especially in the area of cups, for which Greiner Packaging achieved multiple awards. Greiner offers its complete technology palette in combination with barriers,” Mr Sabo adds.

Attention to portion

Dr Roberts noticed an increased desire for convenience. A growing number of single-person households, which have increased by 30 per cent in recent years, lead do the adoption of portion packs, which across the whole market, according to WRAP, would save up to around 10,000 tonnes of food waste.

“A recent LINPAC collaboration with Cargill and Tesco on a poultry split pack originated from the need for consumers to exert portion control to prevent food waste. The pack allows the consumer to separate chicken breast portions – without breaking the all-important seal – so that one can be cooked and eaten immediately and one ‘saved for later’.” 

GPI works on new products together with its customers at its GPI Global Innovation Centre (GIC). 

“The process allows for samples and mock-ups to be generated for customers to take and review in-house. Importantly, the GIC is integral to our production area ensuring design excellence and operational efficiency go hand in hand to achieve the desired result,” Mr Garsed says.

Mr Lingard highlights the fact that Sirane works with customers to develop anti-microbial technology that works. 

“The traditional route has been through the external packaging, but this has limits. Instead, we have incorporated antimicrobial technology into the absorbent pad which is in many cases there anyway. Sirane is both a manufacturing company and a development company, so we cater for customers’ demands by listening to their needs and then developing the products, for example with our ABM pads for meat and poultry and the ABV pads for fruit, which are anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. They incorporate a natural solution – a combination of bioflavonoids and natural acids – which when activated by moisture are released into the pack and deliver significant shelf-life extension,” Mr Lingard adds.

Innovations

Linpac’s innovations aim to make sure the company stays at the top of their game as single-supplier alternative for their customers. 

“In response to customer demand for more sustainable foodservice options, we have launched a range of rPET solutions as an extension of our portfolio of EPS Hotpacs, catering trays plates and bowls. The complete offering now comprises hinged-lid and film lidded rigid rPET solutions for prepared fresh foods such as sandwiches, salads, sushi and bakery, all of which can be hand or machine packed on site, offering flexibility and variety to our customers in the foodservice industry. Each lightweight, crystal-clear solution is manufactured using high levels of post-consumer recyclate, which has been super-cleaned in-house by LINPAC to ensure compliance with all food safety regulations and is recyclable after use,” Dr Roberts explains.

Mr Garsed highlights the GPI FruitPack® to demonstrate how a sustainable, natural material such as virgin fibre kraftboard can offer an attractive yet functional option to protect fruit and vegetables throughout the supply chain. 

“The mono-material, shelf-ready pack is available in a wide range of concepts that have been designed for ease of use from packer to consumer. It can be manually or automatically erected, with patented features such as easy-carry handles and a reinforced corner design to enable multi-layer stacking. Made from renewable and recyclable resources, the sustainable pack presents an excellent premium ‘artisan-look’ alternative to existing plastic-based packaging.”

Mr Lingard is keen to point out that anti-microbal absorbent packaging from Sirane has given diced beef two additional days’ shelf-life in recent trials with one major UK meat processing company.

“The independently-run trials showed a two-day increase from nine to 11 days on the shelf-life of the packs containing Sirane’s ABM pads compared to existing packaging. The Dri-Fresh ABM pads for meat/poultry, contain a blend of natural bio-flavonoids and organic acids which work together to extend shelf-life. Together with the absorbency within the pads, they offer an outstanding level of protection and significant shelf-life extension.” Mr Lingard says.

Mr Sabo emphasises Kavoblow, Greiner Packaging’s innovative development of injection stretch blow moulding. It enables the manufacture of more pieces than before in best quality. In combination with the barrier technology MBT, the pack has a higher oxygen barrier. Blow moulding and barrier solution are applied in one line and therefore guarantee efficient production. 

“Kavoblow technology promises a cohesive EVOH-layer. Products that require hot filling and transparency, such as ketchup and sauce bottles can be manufactured easily with MBT and Kavoblow. This technology opens up new possibilities for plastics packaging and enables products that previously were packaged in glass, metal or aluminium.”