This is set against the backdrop of total fruit and vegetable losses and waste reaching an estimated 625 million tonnes by 2030 in Asia, according to the United Nations.
According to Alan Adams, APAC Sustainability Director at Sealed Air, this is a major environmental issue. “”Waste dumped in landfills produces large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that is at least 28 times more greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide... Food loss also meant wasting resources such as fuel and fresh water.
Richard Smith, Amcor’s Director of Sustainability at APAC, said:Products usually have a much higher environmental footprint than packaging, so it is important that packaging protects the product from loss and avoids food waste., “
The pandemic has also led to increased attention to the growing e-commerce and packaging of the e-food sector.
“”Given that food is now moving from farm to store, as well as from store to front door, with the right packaging applications, food can move the supply chain safely and in a timely manner. , Will reach consumers and provide a great dining experience.“Adams said.
“”Demand for fresh and grocery products is skyrocketing, and people are shifting to fresher, healthier foods with minimal or no preservatives.“He added.
In response to these trends, Sealed Air launched TempGuard, a brand of fiber-based insulation box liners to protect temperature-sensitive foods, replacing polystyrene trash cans with recyclable and renewable options. I did.
The company also believes that smart packaging solutions can help reduce waste in food production and consumption.
Sealed Air’s food packaging division, Cryovac, has developed smart packaging for avocado spreads using pasteurization that can extend the shelf life of products from 30 to 90 days.You can process, ship and enjoy more crops and reduce crop loss“Adams said.
sustainability..
As APAC consumers become more and more educated about sustainability, packaging companies are increasingly pledged to use recyclable or reusable materials in their food packaging.
So far, Sealed Air has achieved 50% recyclable or renewable content in all packaging solutions.
Meanwhile, Amcor promised to manufacture reusable and recyclable packages by 2025 in 2018.We will also significantly increase the use of recycled materials and work together throughout the supply chain to increase recycling rates.“Smith said.
One example is Amcor’s new package for Mondelez, Australia. The recycled soft plastic package was developed for the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand and will be available in Australian supermarkets from September 2022.
Effective recycling..
While APAC consumers are increasingly passionate about package sustainability, they also need information and transparency to understand their role in removing waste from the environment.
According to a recent survey by Amcor of 12,000 consumers in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, China and Brazil, 76% of consumers want to recycle more and 83% brand. I wanted to clarify how to recycle the package.
“”In the APAC region, one of the main challenges we face is the lack of formal waste collection and recycling infrastructure, and a clear recycling regulatory framework.“Smith told us.
“Many countries in the region do not have a clear regulatory framework to help define packaging design and labeling requirements for recycling. In other countries, regulatory requirements permit the use of recycled content. Because there is no, the package cannot be completely recycled... “
Without formal and clear infrastructure and packaging guidance, it is a real challenge to let consumers know how to effectively recycle packaging.
Amcor said this is where responsible packaging is key to increasing recycling rates.
“”Proper maintenance of the recycling infrastructure to ensure proper collection and classification of packages after use is essential to protect the packages from the environment... “
Smith said more countries will be able to establish a regulatory framework similar to the Australian Packaging Code Organization (APCO) found in Australia to guide the industry.