Paper packaging producer DS Smith has an important story to tell. But food manufacturers and processors have to pick up on it, if the tale is to enjoy a happy ending. More than half of all plastic food packaging can be replaced by sustainable alternatives…
A new, first-of-its kind analysis of 1,500 supermarket groceries confirms plastic has a stranglehold on food and drink packaging…
What they did
Smith recently announced the results of its 2024 Material Change Index. The survey was commissioned by the company and carried out by Retail Economics, a leading UK retail trends watcher.
According to an abstract of the survey report… The Material Change Index analysed packaging materials in 25 of the most popular supermarkets across six European countries: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland.
What they found
The findings showed that the UK is the most reliant on plastic packaging, with 70 percent of all food and drink items on British shelves using at least some plastic on their products. But other countries also came in troublingly high, particularly:
- Spain (67 percent)
- Italy (66 percent)
- Germany (66 percent)
- Poland (62 percent) and
- France (59 percent).
Not unassailable
But plastic’s iron grip on food packaging may not Be unbreakable.
The Material Change Index identified that, “over half (51 percent) of food and drink items found in UK supermarkets are unnecessarily packaged in plastic that can be safely removed or replaced with alternatives. This adds up to 29.8 billion avoidable pieces annually across the UK.”
The takeaway
Food processors and packagers face some major barriers – both real and perceived – to making sustainable changes in the way they present products to consumers. (See digest, infographic, above.)
Nevertheless, DS Smith CEO Miles Roberts says progress is bring made: “Over the last four years, we’ve replaced over 1 billion pieces of plastic, but meeting consumer demand for sustainable packaging is crucial.
The takeaway
“Good progress has been made but there is more to do. Government can and should demand more of us all,” Roberts Roberts suggests. “[For instance,] phasing out certain plastics to create a level playing field that encourages innovation, investment, and generates healthy competition to replace plastic.”
“We hope the Government’s Zero Waste Strategy will support the use of more-readily recyclable materials,” he adds.
My take
Let’s not forget, for a moment, DS Smith’s vested interest in replacing plastic with other, more-sustainable materials – i.e.- paper. But the company and its Report make some valid points.
Plastic is choking our waterways and killing water-hosted animals and plants. And the availability of clean water is becoming a growing problem around the world as global warming progresses.
And, yes, Smith’s survey is Europe-focused. But there’s no reason to doubt that its overall findings don’t apply equally to north American and other parts of the developed world, as well.
We also need to remember that sustainability is a central issue not only in the overall packaging sphere, but in respect to the future of food as a whole. And our ability to feed the 10 billion humans who will call our planet home by the end of the 2050s.
If we have to pay a little more for sustainable food packaging… We can surely save at least as much in other aspects of our lives by doing so!
~ Maggie J.