Importance of considering food waste in the development of sustainable food packaging systems

Abstract

Meeting the needs of both present and future generations forms the foundation of
 sustainable development. Concern about food demand is increasing alongside the
 continuously growing population. In the pursuit of food security preventing food waste
 is one solution avoiding the negative environmental impacts that result from producing
 food unnecessarily. Packages offer one answer to preventing food waste, as they 1)
 preserve and protect food, 2) introduce the user to the correct way to handle and use the
 food and package and 3) allow the user to consume the food in its entirety. This thesis
 aims to enhance the sustainability of food packages by giving special emphasis to
 preventing food waste.
 The focus of this thesis is to assist the packaging designer in being able to take into
 account the requirements for the sustainability of food packages and to be able to
 integrate these requirements into the product development process. In addition, life
 cycle methods that can be used as a tool in the packaging design process or in assessing
 the sustainability of finished food-packaging combinations are evaluated. The methods
 of life cycle costing (LCC) and life cycle working environment (LCWE) are briefly
 discussed. The method of life cycle assessment (LCA) is examined more thoroughly
 through the lens of the literature review of food-package LCA case studies published in
 the 21st century in three relevant journals. Based on this review and on experiences
 learned from conducting LCAs, recommendations are given as to how the LCA
 practitioner should conduct a food packaging study to make most of the results.
 Two case studies are presented in this thesis. The first case study relates the results of a
 life cycle assessment conducted for three food items (cold cut (ham), sliced dark bread
 (rye) and Soygurt drink) and the alternative packaging options of each. Results of this
 study show that the packaging constitutes only 1–12 % of the total environmental
 impacts of the food-packaging combination. The greatest effect is derived from the food
 itself and the wasted food. Even just a small percentage of wasted food causes more
 environmental impacts than does the packaging. The second case study presents the
 results of LCC and LCWE analysis done for fruit and vegetable transport packages. In
 this thesis, the specific results of the study itself are not the focus, but rather the study
 methods and scope are analysed based on how these complement the sustainability
 assessment of food packages. This thesis presents reasons why prevention of food waste should be more thoroughly
 taken into account in food packaging design. In addition, the task of the packaging
 designer is facilitated by the requirements of sustainable food packaging, by the
 methods and step-by-step guidance on how to integrate sustainability issues into the
 design process, and by the recommendations on how to assess the sustainability of food
 packages. The intention of this thesis is to express the issues that are important in the
 field of the food packaging industry. Having recognised and implemented these issues,
 businesses can better manage the risks that could follow from neglecting these
 sustainability aspects.