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Packaging Strategies That Save Food: A Research Agenda for 2030
Author(s) -
Wikström Fredrik,
Verghese Karli,
Auras Rafael,
Olsson Annika,
Williams Helén,
Wever Renee,
Grönman Kaisa,
Kvalvåg Pettersen Marit,
Møller Hanne,
Soukka Risto
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of industrial ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.377
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1530-9290
pISSN - 1088-1980
DOI - 10.1111/jiec.12769
Subject(s) - food waste , business , product (mathematics) , supply chain , food packaging , ecological footprint , incentive , environmental economics , stakeholder , sustainability , per capita , industrial ecology , marketing , economics , waste management , engineering , environmental health , ecology , biology , mechanical engineering , medicine , population , geometry , mathematics , management , microeconomics
Summary Thoroughly considering and optimizing packaging systems can avoid food loss and waste. We suggest a number of issues that must be explored and review the associated challenges. Five main issues were recognized through the extensive experience of the authors and engagement of multiple stakeholders. The issues promoted are classified as follows: (1) identify and obtain specific data of packaging functions that influence food waste; (2) understand the total environmental burden of product/package by considering the trade‐off between product protection and preservation and environmental footprint; (3) develop understanding of how these functions should be treated in environmental footprint evaluations; (4) improve packaging design processes to also consider reducing food waste; and (5) analyze stakeholder incentives to reduce food loss and waste. Packaging measures that save food will be important to fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development goal to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and to reduce food losses along production and supply chains.