Food companies speed up the green packaging revolution

A new report shows that Danish Food companies are increasingly working on developing sustainable alternatives in packaging for the future.

The future of packaging is green. In a new report from The Danish Technological Institute, researchers asked leaders in Danish food companies about their expectations for the future of food packaging. According to them, future packaging will consist of reusable, sustainable or bio degradable materials. The report shows that 53% of the companies are already using reusable materials and the majority of the interviewed are expecting to increase this share. 42% of the companies that are not using reusable materials at the moment are expecting to do so soon.

“We’re seeing that the companies want to design new reusable types of packaging. They can for example be made of components of the same type of plastics or be designed in such a way, that part of the packaging can be dismantled for reuse”, says Karina Kjeldgaard-Nielsen, product manager at The Danish Technological Institute.

Around 30% of plastic packaging and 95% of paper packaging was reused in 2015 in Denmark

New packaging properties

Packaging has been on the environmental agenda for a long time. Especially plastic packaging. The world is becoming aware of the impact excessive plastic use may have. Now, consumers are demanding more environmentally friendly types of packaging and are increasingly opting out of plastic use. This is why companies also need to address this matter.

35% of the Danish food companies interviewed are expecting to develop their packaging, so that it has reusable or sustainable properties. 21% are expecting to make their packaging biodegradable. With this ambition, Danish companies will contribute to the global Sustainable Development goal 12 about responsible consumption.

Not always an easy matter to recycle

It is not always an easy matter to meet the demand for packaging made of recycled or biodegradable material. One thing is to come up with the proper materials. Another is to make sure that the material will keep the food fresh and safe as well as sustainably packaged.

There are strict requirements for materials in contact with food, which makes it difficult to use recycled material in food packaging. Creating a 100% recycled plastic packaging solution for food is not possible at the moment in Denmark because of strict guidelines for food quality and safety. But one thing is sure. Research is already underway, and it will probably only be intensified in the future as the future of packaging is green.

Source: Fødevarefokus