Food Packaging

From coffee cups to juice and milk cartons, designers now have a reliable, industry-backed reference to make the best recyclability choices for these types of packaging. It is a major step forward in reaching the goal of providing a holistic, practical and comprehensive tool for the industry to use in all fibre-based packaging design.

While plastic may be the backbone of the packaging industry, there’s no denying the devastating effect it has on the environment. Globally, 91% of plastic waste is not recycled and the ocean is awash in millions of tons of plastic waste. It’s been estimated that the annual flow of plastic into the ocean will nearly triple by 2040, and without action, that amount could swell from 11 million metric tons to 29 million metric tons per year —the equivalent to 50kg (110 pounds) of plastic per meter of coastline worldwide.

Thankfully, some supermarkets are changing the way some of their most popular items are packaged. One of these supermarkets is Sainsbury's, who, from today, are switching out single-use plastic trays for cardboard in their steak packaging.

The plastic trays often used to pack steaks in supermarkets will be removed in the By Sainsbury's range of steaks, which includes 10 products.

The supermarket estimates that this change will use 70% less plastic, and save over 10 million pieces of plastic every single year.

Nationwide, food and packaging containers together account for almost 45% of landfill materials in the U.S. That’s not all takeout waste, but with the online food delivery market growing—it’s expected to be worth $200 billion by 2025—it’s easy to see how single use waste from food delivery adds up, especially during a pandemic that’s forcing more people to order in.

Since 1 January, the German catering industry has been hit by new regulations mandating food businesses to introduce a reusable packaging option. The law was adopted back in May 2021 and set to take effect in 2023, giving companies the chance to prepare for the shift.

Despite the new restrictions on takeaway services, there are many who are exempt from having to provide reusable packaging, like smaller shops with few employees or pizza boxes.

The steel base built into previous tubes has been replaced with a paper fibre alternative, which is sealed to the bottom of the pack. As such, the tube is apparently compatible with paper and cardboard recycling once the plastic cover has been removed; the cover can be recycled in the PMD bag in turn.

Furthermore, the pack claims to be completely airtight and offer a 15-month shelf life for the crisps prior to opening.