Four-packs of pears and Pink Lady apples, shrink-wrapped cucumbers, parsnips and broccoli, and bagged bananas form only part of a long list of fruit and vegetables facing criticism for the way they have been packaged.
The explosion of environmental concerns this year has seen the fresh produce supply chain come under fire, with the national press fuelling consumer concern by accusing retailers of using excessive amounts of packaging on fruit and vegetables.
The multiples initially responded by pledging to cut packaging across the board and introducing a number of packaging-related initiatives but, within a few weeks, it became apparent that the way packaging fits into the green debate is not clear cut.
Essentially, packaging protects fresh produce as it moves through the supply chain, from production through the packhouse to the way it is presented on the supermarket shelf. It also plays a vital role in extending product shelf life, reducing the amount of food waste and retaining the appearance of the fruit and vegetables.
The staunch criticism has implied that packaging for fresh produce is excessive and, in many cases, unnecessary, but the sector is concerned that consumers have been misinformed.
Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy hit back at critics in a column for The Independent and insisted that packaging serves to protect the product, display a wide range of essential information, including ingredients and nutritional information, and meet food quality and safety standards. “Not all packaging is ‘excess’ or optional, and the truth is that the benefits of smart, efficient packaging in reducing waste have been finding their way back to customers for years,” he wrote.
He added that high packaging standards mean that only two per cent of the food moving through the UK supply chain goes to waste.
Leahy accepted that supermarkets have an important role to play in cutting out the waste they generate. “But if we are to make real progress in shrinking the waste mountain, we must also help shift consumer attitudes towards packaging itself. We need to ask, what is it for? And what are the consequences of taking it away?” he wrote.
“But you can’t force the pace of change, even if it is for sound environmental reasons,” Leahy added. “Customers have to want to change, and that can take time.”
It was a similar story at UK number-two supermarket Asda, where a trial aimed at cutting packaging in-store failed to get off the ground. The retailer shelved its Leave it With Us scheme, which urged Asda customers to return examples of excessive packaging to bins at its York and Dewsbury stores, after just four weeks. The chain admitted defeat and told the press the initiative would not be rolled out nationally because “it is hard to get customers off their backsides”.
UK consumers must be taught about how packaging works to lessen the environmental impact of the fresh produce supply chain, according to Adam Barnett at Linpac Plastics, and he insists packaging is crucial for making fruit and vegetables a viable option for the consumer. “The government is encouraging us all to consume more fresh fruit and vegetables and rightly so, but without packaging the shelf life would be so limited that it would be extremely costly for the consumer to eat fresh produce regularly,” he says.
The extension of product freshness and the window in which fruit and vegetables can be sold are key arguments for packaging, adds Jane Bicknell at Amcor Flexibles. “Extending shelf life by just one day can have a profound effect on the supply chain, retail sales and consumer waste levels,” she says.
The role that packaging plays in minimising food waste should not be overlooked, Barnett warns. “The criticism of food packaging has focused too much on the reduction and removal of packaging and ignored the wider contribution that it makes towards reducing food waste,” he says. “Whilst many toys, electrical goods and even cosmetics are unnecessarily over-packaged, food packaging is imperative to keep food fresher longer, so that the public throws less away, reducing food wastage.”
Presentation plays a central role in how a product is received by shoppers, Bicknell adds, and the way fresh produce is packaged can boost sales. “Consumers tend to look at supermarkets in a split second and make an opinion about whether to pick up and purchase a product based upon how it looks, and packaging obviously has a huge impact on this,” she says. “Market research has revealed that consumers typically make decisions on product selection in less than a second and if a consumer touches a product there is an 80 per cent chance of purchase, so packaging is key.”
UK consumers are more aware of fresh produce packaging than ever but, according to the manufacturing sector, this is for all the wrong reasons. Shoppers are generally unaware of the food quality, safety and environmental benefits of the appropriate packaging, Bicknell says, and educating shoppers about how and why packaging is used is the best way forward.
“The recent negative publicity surrounding packaging has made consumers more aware of its presence, but not necessarily the vital function it serves,” says Barnett. “As a manufacturer, we’re not saying there should be no debate about packaging, as this type of debate often stimulates product innovation, but the arguments presented should at least be balanced and this has not always been the case.
“The debate over cucumber packaging is an excellent example of the need for more education. It was claimed that a cucumber did not require packaging because its skin provided natural protection. When this was put to the test, the cucumber lasted only three days unwrapped, and 14 days wrapped.”
The consumer needs to have access to the full picture when it comes to the packaging debate, according to Andrew Barnetson at the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI). “One of the most important things the packaging chain can do is educate and inform the public,” he says. “I would like to see the public recognise that, in terms of environmental concerns, there are other issues that we need to attend to.”
The amount of plastic, film, card and paper used to protect and present fresh produce represents only a tiny fraction of the materials used for all goods. Packaging for fruit and vegetables makes up only 2.6 per cent of that used for all goods, equivalent to 0.4 per cent of all household waste, according to the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN). “Good packaging can help us all lead more sustainable lives,” says Barnett. “If the packaging saves more resources and energy than is used to make it - by reducing damage to the product and product waste, for example - then it is helping all of us reduce our environmental impact.”
INCPEN research shows that, typically, 10 times more resources are used in growing, harvesting, processing, and distributing products than are used in the packaging material. Its studies also indicate that under-packaging is 10 times worse for the environment than the same amount of over-packaging.
“If you measure the energy needed to grow, package and transport a product - if you follow a food item all through the chain - the energy associated with packaging is just 11 per cent of the total,” says Barnetson. “To cut down on emissions and waste, you have to look at more efficient production methods, transport, even cooking - it’s about the whole picture.”
The responsibility for informing the public about the role of packaging has to be shared across the whole of the fresh produce chain, from the grower, through the packhouse and packaging manufacturers to the retailers, as well and the consumer has to respond in order to make a difference.
“The retailers need to take responsibility in terms of informing the public about the role of packaging, but none of them have yet made a suitable statement,” says Barnetson. “I would like to see them explain why packaging is there and why we need it.
“It’s all too easy that, if a supermarket perceives it will come under fire, it can say that it will cut packaging, but in reality, many retailers do not have a well-documented idea of how much packaging they actually use.
“If retailers cut packaging by, say, five per cent, it may well increase food waste by 25 per cent, so retailers need to think before rushing into statements and really understand why packaging is being used,” he adds.
The majority of packaging manufacturers have had policies that aim to reduce their environmental impact in place for many years.
Amcor Flexibles aims to deliver “responsible packaging towards a sustainable future” and, according to Bicknell, “this is not just about so-called green films; it is about using packaging responsibly, minimising environmental impact throughout a product’s life cycle from material sourcing to use and disposal.”
The range of Amcor NaturePlus products, which have enhanced recyclability, biodegradablity and compostability, will continue to grow, Bicknell says. “This has stemmed from concern for the environment together with increased legislation which has prompted retailers, packers and packaging manufacturers to question the environmental impact of flexible packaging systems,” she says. “These new materials can form a key part in reducing the environmental impact of retail products.
“But conventional packaging materials already deliver substantial environmental benefits, including reduced product spoilage, longer shelf life and transferring air miles to sea miles at incredibly low pack weights,” she adds.
Long Life Solutions (LLS) offers its Smart technology - “modified interactive packaging” with permeable film, a membrane structure and an organic active that inhibits the spread of mould and bacteria - as environmentally conscious packaging. “The Smart system reduces waste in the food chain and allows supermarkets to give more to the consumer,” says managing director Andrew Wright. “The product inside creates its own atmosphere that it feels comfortable with.”
The latest LLS initiative, which is set to launch this month, will see the Smart system being used to ship flowers from Kenya to Holland and then on to the UK, eliminating the need for airfreight and putting a stop to the 190,000 kilos of harmful emissions generated for every flight from East Africa to the UK.
LLS has already launched similar projects, including shipping Brussels sprouts from South Africa, and extending the freshness of grapes by 110 days, blueberries by 55 days and strawberries by 17 days.
The sector is keen to point out that the majority of ‘green’ packaging initiatives now brought to the forefront of public awareness, such as recycling and the increasingly widespread use of biodegradable and compostable materials, have been around for some time.
Recycling is a key stage for the creation of sustainable packaging and, while in recent months retailers have put more emphasis on getting shoppers to recycle used packaging and re-use plastic bags, the concept is not new. “To make the recycling process work going forward will require a consultative approach involving manufacturers, local authorities and customers,” says Barnett. “Local authorities have the legal responsibility to put collection facilities in place for recyclables, the public has the responsibility to use them and the industry has the responsibility to take those collected materials and recycle them back into a useful second-life product.”
CPI co-ordinates the Corrugated Recycles Campaign and launched a new logo on June 1. The corrugated cardboard industry has the highest recycling rate in the UK packaging industry, at 84 per cent. “Almost every cardboard box that goes through retailers is recycled,” says Barnetson. “We don’t need to raise our recycling rate, we need to raise awareness about the amount we already recycle. Too many consumers do not appreciate that we are already taking our responsibilities very seriously.”
But confusion surrounding packaging buzz words - the likes of bio-based, biodegradable and compostable - needs to be unravelled for the consumer. Shoppers will only be able to make the right choices if they have a full understanding of what the terms really mean, says Barnett. “I think many customers hear the term ‘biodegradable’ and wrongly assume it is always the most environmentally friendly option,” he says. “In fact, the total fossil fuel consumed in the production of biodegradable packaging is often greater than oil-based thermoplastics. When something biodegrades it generates both carbon dioxide and methane gases during the process - the two major greenhouse gases attributed to global warming - so biodegradable packaging is not necessarily always the answer.
“We feel the focus should instead be on manufacturing packaging from renewable sources.”
So what is the future for fresh produce packaging? Both retailers and consumers are claiming to be more aware of their impact on the environment, but where packaging will fall into the green debate is not yet known. “Five years ago, I approached a supermarket and told them how they could switch from airfreight to seafreight with Smart technology, but they were not interested,” says Wright. “It is only now, with pressure from the government and consumers, that retailers are changing the way they think.
“The sad thing is the only traction that we have had in the UK is where we have made a definitive cost saving,” he adds. “There is still a lot of canvassing that needs to be done.”
The packaging industry is committed to working towards ensuring that packaging makes a positive contribution to the sustainable production, distribution and consumption of fresh produce in the future. “We all want to do something to help the environment, but we need to do something constructive,” says Barnetson. “We may come to a point, in a year or two, where people will talk in terms of reducing the carbon footprint as a whole, and it may be that we raise the amount of packaging used to extend shelf life and minimise food waste.”
Bicknell says that, in the future, over-packaging will not be tolerated by retailers, government agencies and consumers, but she stresses that the packaging sector will respond to public demand by increasing the use of green materials, such as compostable plastic, designing packaging with a specific disposal route in mind and, eventually, printing a measure of the carbon footprint on packs. “The trend towards reducing our impact on the environment is here to stay, and that can only be a good thing,” she says.
PARRY HOTTER ON REDUCTION
Andrew Parry, project manager for WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) looks at some options to help the fresh produce industry reduce both packaging and food waste.
Packaging is rapidly becoming an issue of major interest to both media commentators and consumers. Food suppliers are under pressure from numerous sources to demonstrate their commitment to reducing packaging and food waste. Of course, WRAP recognises the critical role packaging has to play in protecting and preserving food, but there are many examples where packaging can be reduced without the risk of increasing food waste. In addition, packaging innovation, which could involve modest weight increases, has the potential to enable a reduction in the levels of food waste both in the supply chain and in the home.
WRAP is working with 24 organisations, major brands and retailers, through the Courtauld Commitment, all of whom have pledged to work to stop packaging waste growth by 2008, reduce packaging reaching UK homes in absolute terms by 2010, and reduce household food waste. The activities of the Courtauld Commitment signatories are likely to generate momentum in the food supply chain for intelligent packaging solutions that optimise material use, offer the potential to reduce food waste, and place sustainability at the centre of strategic planning.
The food industry is a sector that is constantly looking for ways to optimise packaging, reduce costs and improve product quality, which means it is perfectly placed to embrace innovation. WRAP recently supported two projects in the salad market aiming to reduce the amount of film used in flexible food packaging without compromising product quality. These initiatives are relevant to other product areas using flexible film and could help to reduce packaging by more than 25 per cent.
The UK food industry uses 110,000 tonnes of flexible film every year. The Integrity Seal technology, trialled with the support of WRAP and now in use by Marks & Spencers suppliers, and WRAP’s successful trials of thinner gauge film - down from 30 to 35 microns - suggest that if widely adopted, these technologies could result in annual savings of 27,000t of film and carbon savings of 25,000t.
WRAP’s research on food waste and consumer behaviour, and that carried out by the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), revealed several areas where retailers and suppliers can innovate to help consumers reduce the amount of food they throw away. These include providing more appropriate portion sizes, extending shelf life (whilst maintaining actual and perceived naturalness or freshness) and helping consumers understand when products should be consumed. Functional materials, individual portions within multi-pack formats, and the inclusion of time-temperature indicators are just a few of the packaging innovations that have potential to address this issue. WRAP is convinced that designing out waste - both in terms of packaging materials and food thrown away - is the key to the ability of fresh food suppliers to maintain business performance and consumer loyalty.
WRAP offers support and advice through its website - www.wrap.org.uk/retail. Here, visitors can find case studies, research reports, and a number of design tools and reference resources that will kick start debate. These include the Guide to Evolving Packaging Design and Best in Class, a database detailing the weight and materials used in packaging, which is intended to help manufacturers and brand owners assess their products against sector best practice.
Any fresh food suppliers who want to discuss specific projects or developments can also contact WRAP’s team via retail@wrap.org.uk. You can also keep up-to-date on WRAP’s work by registering for our bi-monthly e-newsletter.
No comments yet