Drive towards eco-friendly food packaging to preserve our planet
Sustainability has become the latest buzzword bubbling up all across the globe. Every industry is adapting efficient ways to optimize sustainability and meet consumer demands. They have found new ways to be ‘green’ without sacrificing their productivity or pulling the quality down.
Globally, the entire food and beverages (F&B) industry is making its headway into a better and more sustainable way of doing business. Restaurants, hotels and modern cloud kitchens have proactively started taking steps towards improving the sustainability of their packaging and fundamentally restructuring their packaging systems. Packaging, being a large part of the food industry has become the center of sustainable transformation.
Increased usage of single-use packaging containers like plastic straws, bags, coffee stirrers and disposable plastics is affecting our environment as these products never break down completely. They degrade and become microplastics that not only pollute the environment but also our food. Yes, you read it right, our food! Plastic has already entered the food chain. Animals carry microplastics in their bodies, so when one animal eats another, these particles also move through the food chain, which when consumed by humans, damages cells, and causes inflammation and allergic reactions. Be it in oceans or landfills, plastic is everywhere!
Manufacturers are taking different routes to adopt Sustainable Packaging where all materials are reused or recycled because eco-friendly packaging is the first step towards making a brand sustainable. Some companies have even started to ban the use of virgin plastic and promote the idea of using biodegradable and compostable packaging like paper, bamboo, recycled plastic, glass and earthenware. Like the glass packaging is lead-free, safe and leak-proof. You could even reuse them at home! Some firms are embracing refillable containers too.
Initiatives Towards Sustainable Packaging:
• Soda King, Coca-Cola has set a goal of making 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.
• P&G uses elemental chlorine-free pulp for its paper products and packaging.
• 100% of McDonald’s guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025.
• PepsiCo strives to design 100% of recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable packaging by 2025.
• Nestle is committed to 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025.
Earth-friendly initiatives like this will have a meaningful effect on reducing waste, curbing the use of non-degradable products, and increasing recycling through packaging improvements and consumer awareness. Continuous effort in improving the performance of packaging while supporting recycling will prevent non-eco-friendly packaging from ending up as litter.
The time has arrived when firms are leading the shift away from single-use packaging and towards compostable, recyclable, and reusable materials. This shift over the years will lead to a healthier place to live. This could be executed by educating our society, supporting the single-use ban, avoiding single-use straws/lids of plastics, and adopting eco-friendly options. It shouldn’t be just a trend, but the right way to package the products.
One step at a time, we together can promote sustainable packaging. Changing a few practices for the sake of this planet is our social responsibility. It is our due diligence to look out for our future generations.
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