How to design sustainable food packaging

Food items have more impact on the environment than the packaging that contains them, by comparison. Even though the most important purpose of a food package is that it protects the food, sustainability has become a major strategy to help protect the environment.

Emphasis must be put on package design exhibiting sustainable qualities, in order for a manufacturer to meet modern expectations. By establishing a framework to design sustainable food packaging, environmental safety can be assessed and enhanced.

Stages of Packaging Design

The packaging design process comprises three distinct stages. In the first stage a product is specifically defined with market goals. It takes into account critical success factors that will help achieve its aim, along with a product schedule. In the second stage packaging ideas are created and narrowed down. The third stage involves analysis of technical and economic concerns. Functionality is then tested in the fourth stage. Details are then added in the design phases, leading to an evaluation of alternatives. Sustainable solutions are considered in the subsequent specification phase of packaging.

Framework For Sustainability

The first place to begin analysing how to design sustainable food packaging is to study the degree of food losses in the existing packaging design process. Since food preservation is the top priority, manufacturers must consider whether or not higher material density contributes to better preservation, even if it costs more or generations more emissions. In the first step of building a framework, the minimum requirements for food preservation must be considered. The function of the package must be appropriate for the product's protection and distribution and must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. must preserve the product
2. must be safe for users and the environment
3. must meet government requirements

The environmental impact must be weighed with the goal of reaching a balance that preserves food the longest, while generating the least amount of food waste. In order for the package to meet each of these minimum requirements, it must protect the product from moisture, temperature, gases, sunlight, deterioration, other flavours and aromas.

The package must be strong enough to prevent breaking and tampering in the shipping and retail processes. It must meet the legal requirements established by the Packaging Waste Directive 1994/62/EC. This legislation calls for the use of heavy metals to be minimized and for all packaging to have recyclable qualities.

Optimization of Sustainable Packaging

One of the keys to making sure that the package meets sustainability requirements is that it does not contain any toxic materials. Additives should not be added to the food that compromise hygiene just to meet production and distribution requirements.

The packaging designer can identify possible threats in the second step of framework planning, using SWOT analysis. This strategy will help the designer weigh strengths and weaknesses of materials used for packaging. If the threats overshadow the benefits, the designer should begin considering alternatives.

In the technical and economical analysis stage it's important for the designer to consider how technology and economics affect each other. Usually existing machinery presents an advantage if it generates a minimal amount of food waste during production. When materials are transported or stored, they should take up minimal space. Packaging efficiency can be achieved using plain shapes. Transport efficiency is the result of choosing minimal transport distances within the supply chain. The key for sustainable packaging is to reduce the following:

• costs
• time
• emissions
• waste
• resources

The disposal phase of consumption is another important consideration to sustainability, as to what degree the material can be used again. There must be a corresponding demand for recycled materials in order to meet the objectives to design sustainable food packaging.

Conclusion

The goal to design sustainable food packaging can be met by constructing a visual framework that includes all phases of the packaging process and how they relate to sustainability. Meeting this goal is becoming increasingly important as consumers now base some of their product judgement on sustainable packaging.

Disclaimer:
The postings in this blog section do not necessarily represent Desjardin's positions, strategies or opinions.