Sustainability in food packaging has always been a major issue for all types of food manufacturing companies as well as organisations that promote food safety.
Sustainability Through Packaging
One of the most important parts of sustainability comes in the type of materials used to package the products. And the right packaging can provide a much longer shelf life and much safer foods for consumption from the time they are made available until the consumer has finished with them. Additionally, there is a movement to ensure all packaging is environmentally friendly and recyclable to avoid more problems with landfill overflow.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council has been working on ways to help food manufacturers attain more sustainability through proper packaging. It’s important for companies to understand that they must consider not just how the foods are packaged but also how the packaging itself is made. The Council is working on educating companies on how to create more sustainable packaging for all types of foods for better consumer safety. There are a couple of methods they are using for this process.
Voluntary Packaging Program
The Packaging Covenant is not mandatory for food manufacturers but instead is a voluntary program that allows companies to sign up as a compliant business. By being a part of the Packaging Covenant, the companies are indicating that they will use the best packaging possible for better food sustainability. Right now, more and more businesses are making the decision to be a part of this voluntary contract.
The second method is through the Toolkit produced by the Australian Food and Grocery Council. This toolkit is designed to educate manufacturers on better methods of packaging their foods so that they can achieve more sustainability. It includes educational links and videos that companies can use to learn more about sustainability. According to the site, the whole kit will only take about 20 minutes to watch and it can provide helpful information on how to choose packaging that will increase food shelf life and remain environmentally friendly.
Companies can make the decision to help the consumers and choose sustainable options for food and planet safety. Sustainability has certainly been in the spotlight recently, and there are ways that manufacturers can create packaging for better food shelf life and for a better environment. The more materials that are kept out of landfills, the better for future generations. Through the packaging covenants and useful toolkits, businesses can find out more for no cost at all.
