From rows of different flavoured yoghurts to ready-made sauces and frozen ready meals, convenience food is available in almost every aisle of the supermarket. With revenue in Europe for convenience food hitting approximately €81bn in 2022, it poses a significant opportunity to reduce packaging waste across the board, writes Ajeeth Enjeti, General Manager – EU Food, Trivium Packaging.
The rise in convenience food echoes our increasingly busy lives, and by 2027, it’s expected that the volume of food in the sector will amount to 14,308.8 million kilograms. Inevitably, this will lead to vast amounts of packaging waste, especially in an industry built so closely on the single-use concept.
Sadly, a large amount of this waste is plastic – a material that can typically only be recycled 2-3 times, with only a 49% recyclability rate in the UK and 38% in the EU. In one study, scientists found plastic was in eight out of ten of the 12 million pieces of litter analysed from around rivers, oceans, shorelines, and the seafloor. 44% of this litter was related to convenience food and drinks, including single-use bottles, food containers, and wrappers.
As the industry continues to grow, it is time to reflect on the packaging materials used.
What to consider when designing convenience food packaging
First and foremost, packaging must preserve and protect its contents. Globally we’re battling with vast amounts of food waste, yet also shortages, and in the EU alone, nearly 57 million tonnes of food waste – that’s 127 kg per person – are generated annually with a market value estimated at 130 billion euros. Typically, wastage comes from retailers’ unsold food passing its sell-by date, consumers that buy in excess or don’t plan meals, and poor storage methods. Opting for packaging that can preserve for longer, in a range of temperatures, can help bring this figure down.
Choosing the right packaging, however, falls on other factors too, such as preserving quality and safety. Packaging must create a barrier to protect its contents from sunlight and oxygen, the two primary reasons for premature degradation of food.
In the case of convenience food, the packaging is synonymous with its function. Designed to be eaten on the go and with minimal effort, brands put even greater thought into the design process of these products, for example, anti-spillage packaging, and ready-to-cook meals that can be cooked and served in the same dish, minimising effort, preparation, and clearing up.
Opting for a sustainable material
If countries do not take drastic action to end plastic pollution, there could be up to a threefold increase in the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean between 2016 and 2040.
Globally, countries have woken up to the risk to our environment and climate and are making efforts to reduce single-use plastics in preference of sustainable alternatives. Given this, many brands are introducing metal packaging into their repertoire.
Though traditionally associated with canned food, metal provides durability, sustainability and the ability to preserve its contents. In the case of convenience food, this means yoghurts, serving trays, and ready-made sauces, as well as spreads, can all be made out of metal too. Additionally, brands can use metal as an effective marketing tool. Rather than using an adhesive label, brands can print directly onto the entire vessel without compromising the safety or sustainability of the packaging.
Most importantly, metal is infinitely recyclable and therefore contributes to a truly circular economy, with 80% of aluminium ever created still in existence today. The complexity of recycling multi-layer substrates and plastic simply cannot compete with metal and makes the recycling process significantly trickier.
The time is now
It’s not just about doing the right thing. Soon, opting for a more sustainable material is likely to be a legality in many countries. For example, the United Nations global plastic treaty has been seen as a key moment in sustainability regulation. In the EU, new EPR regulations are expected to be passed by 2030 that will set stricter rules on the recyclability of packaging materials, while in the UK, a range of single-use plastics will be banned by October 2023, and it has signed a legally-binding global treaty that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040.
These changes are welcomed by the public, with the 2022 Buying Green Report finding that 68% of consumers have chosen a product in the last six months based on its sustainability and credentials, and 57% of consumers are “less likely” to buy products in harmful packaging.
With the popularity of convenience food so inextricably linked with our lifestyle, it’s expected that the market will continue to grow and find new forms in our supermarkets. The sector, therefore, has a huge opportunity to create innovative sustainable packaging and set the bar for other sectors to follow.
Comments are closed.