How Amcor’s more sustainable solutions help reduce food waste

Amcor is uniquely positioned to make a difference and contribute across innovating and developing new packaging, collaborating with other stakeholders on the waste management challenge and informing consumers in order to increase their participation.

In recognition of the first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, let’s look into Amcor’s innovative packaging solutions that are contributing to reduce food waste.

Reducing food loss and waste has become crucial across the globe. The number of people affected by hunger has been on the rise since 2014*, and food loss and waste put unnecessary pressure on natural resources and the environment. Wasting food leads to a consequent waste of energy and water, as well as use of the resources needed to grow, transport and sell it.

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 encourages industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste, and supports developing countries to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption by 2030.

Below are key facts and figures on food waste, from the United Nations:

Consumers want to be part of the solution

Reducing food waste is the #1 solution to the climate crisis, according to Climate Solutions NGO, Project DrawDown - coming above electric cars, solar power and plant-based diets.

In most developed countries, over half of all food waste takes place in the home, meaning that consumers have a significant role to play. Of course, many of us would like to throw less food away, but consumers are also worried about the impact that packaging – which helps keep their food fresh – is having on the environment. Recent research by Amcor shows that global warming and plastic pollution compete for leading status when it comes to consumers’ environmental concerns. So, what’s the solution?

Fabio Peyer, Sustainability Director at Amcor says “Product protection and shelf life extension are the most critical functions of packaging, and yet they tend to be invisible to consumers. Extending the shelf life of food products by as little as a few days can create environmental savings that outstrip the impact from the packaging it comes with. As we look to the future, it is crucial that our innovations continue to provide excellent protection for food, while helping our customers reach their packaging sustainability goals.”

Innovative packaging is the answer

A study published in May 2020 suggests that ‘innovative packaging’ and smaller pack sizes could be better for the climate than going plastic-free because they help consumers reduce food waste.

For Amcor, more sustainable packaging solutions are our goal, every day. In 2018, Amcor pledged to make all its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. On our way to fulfilling that pledge, we’ve developed a huge range of more sustainable packaging solutions – from using natural, renewable materials such as sugar cane and increasing our use of PCR to developing world-firsts in recyclable packaging technology.

Considering the full lifecycle

We also know that finding the right solution – one that not only ensures food freshness and safety, but also protects taste, aroma and appearance, as well as being considerate to the environment – isn’t easy. Each product is different, and the journey the food takes from origin to shelf has to be considered.

That’s why Amcor works in partnership with our customers to find the right choice for them. We can build a sustainability roadmap, providing the tools to measure whole lifecycle of a package.

Examples of our pioneering food packaging solutions already available:

• Our AmPrima™ recycle-ready portfolio provides high-barrier solutions that meet shelf-life requirements with a recycle-ready package in a wide variety of formats and include convenient reclose features.

• Our Eco-Tite® shrink bags for cheese, and fresh and processed meats are up to 29% thinner than conventional shrink bags while providing exceptional durability, sealing, barrier and clarity.

• Our recyclable P-Plus range of tailored permeability films are designed to maintain freshness and extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables.

• Our Apex portfolio is a packaging innovation that enables polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jars to be used for hot-fill products like pasta sauce. This jar is more than 80% lighter than the glass alternative and is inherently shatter proof. This makes it perfect for both retail and ecommerce applications to minimize food waste, while remaining 100% recyclable.

• Our OmniPack family of stock PET bottles help our customers meet the demanding requirements for ecommerce-ready packaging. These containers provide a family of sizes that are ISTA-6 approved, which means less food is wasted as customers look to grow in a more aggressive distribution network for sauces, condiments, and dressings.

• Recommended read: 5 benefits of a life cycle approach to packaging

We’ve already made great progress. To date, around 97% of our rigid packaging is recyclable in practice and at scale. And most of our flexible packaging is technically recyclable today. We know, however, that more need to be done to increase the amount of packaging that can be recycled “in practice and at scale”, which is why we work with partners globally to support improvements to collection and recycling infrastructure.

Helping consumers play their part

And so, we return to the education of consumers. If the right packaging can be developed – and sustainable disposal methods provided – then consumers need to know how to choose food in packaging that will help them prevent food waste, and that can be recycled or reused.

We know that 83% of consumers say they check on-pack instructions to know how to dispose of packaging. By clearly labelling packaging with its sustainability credentials, we can better inform consumers and stop more of our food ending going to waste.

• Recommended read: New insights into consumer attitudes towards responsible packaging: Download the full report here.

*Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations