Innovations in Sustainable Food Packaging as a Response to Environmental Concerns
As the impact of excess waste and pollution of our oceans has grabbed the world’s attention, the growth in sustainable food packaging ideas in the foodservice industry, is a direct result of consumer preferences.
Food waste and its packaging represents up to 45% of the landfill waste in the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A good portion of that is contributed by waste from quick service restaurants or QSRs.
Foodservice is a Major Contributor to Unsustainable Plastic Use
Despite being recyclable, less than 14% of plastic packaging is recycled in the US with single-use food and beverage containers being the main contributors to the tons of plastic pollution in our oceans.
A laggard among developed nations, the US creates the most waste annually but has one of the lowest recycling rates at only half the packaging we use. According to a report by As You Sow, the missed opportunity to better handle this waste through recycling, green job creation, and other sustainability measures, is valued at $11 Billion per year.
The US Suffers From a Lackluster Recycling Infrastructure
There will always be challenges getting all individuals aligned with the concept of recycling, but an even greater challenge is the lack of a comprehensive infrastructure to facilitate recycling.
Not all residential communities have curbside recycling pickup and some communities don’t have drop-off locations either. Many quick-service restaurants and grocery store cafes don’t offer recycling bins. This means that tons of waste, that could otherwise be recycled, end up in landfills and even in our oceans.
While foodservice companies are migrating towards offering recyclable and sustainable food packaging options, if the result of that packing isn’t appropriate disposal, then recycling isn’t a factor at all!
As the industry continues to consider even more sustainable food packaging ideas, the full lifecycle of the packaging from sourcing materials to final disposal must be considered as well.
Three Quick Service Restaurants Leading the Charge on Sustainable Packaging Disposal
A 2016 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC, looked at forty-seven fast-food and quick-service brands and found that many of them, despite their corporate pledge to sustainability, did not take into consideration the environmental impacts of their packaging after it has been used.
Included in that study were two leading brands, Starbucks and Pret a Manger, that had both taken action to install recycling and compostable bins within their stores. As these leading quick-service restaurants establish recycling and composting practices, more will surely follow suit.
Here Are the Top Seven Sustainable Food Packaging Ideas
Reuse your sustainable food packaging
Reusable sustainable food containers come with many benefits. They are made from materials that are biodegradable and compostable, they are designed to be sturdy for transporting food, and they are temperature resistant, and able to withstand both refrigerated and oven conditions. Able to tolerate up to 200 degrees in the oven, sustainable reusable food containers make reheating leftovers a breeze.
While considered single-use, reusable sustainable food packaging containers have a longer lifespan than waxed paper or styrofoam. Reusable packaging also reduces excess waste from entering landfills. Finally, they are easily recycled or composted at home.
Dispose of your sustainable food packaging
Providing sustainable food packaging is the first step in moving the US towards a greener future. However, why not reap the full benefit of sustainable packaging by instructing customers on how they can properly dispose of it?
For quick service restaurants, this means informing their customers which packaging items are recyclable or compostable and then instructing them on how to dispose of them when use is completed.
Include a recycle symbol on your sustainable food packaging
By including either a recyclable or compostable symbol on your packaging or a reminder such as “please recycle,” this makes your customers aware of how the packaging should be disposed of. For in-store dining be sure to have recycling and composting bins prominently displayed in areas where customers can see them and use them.
This is a great idea for quick service restaurants, grocery store cafes, food courts, and university and other school dining halls.
Inform customers where to dispose of their recyclable and sustainable packaging
Foodservice retailers should consider the entire lifecycle of their sustainable food packaging taking into consideration not just the aesthetics, practicality, branding, and use case of each packaging item, but also how their customers will dispose of it.
Within the store, use signage to inform your customers what goes where. If you are using glass or plastic, point customers to the recycle bins. For compostable cups, plates, food containers, and straws, be sure to inform customers to separate their biodegradable and compostable items in the correct bin.
Use color on your sustainable food packaging
One of the great attributes of sustainable food packaging is that items can be customized to match a brand’s look. Consider disposable paper cups, for example. Printing options include business logos and slogans that are attractive and elevate your in-store and takeaway brand experience.
Takeaway sustainable food packaging containers
When it comes to sustainable food packaging ideas, one of the greatest advancements is the takeaway container. Replacing the traditional white styrofoam container, sustainable containers made from renewable materials, such as bagasse, offer an earth-friendly option in place of the non-biodegradable styrofoam version.
Color even comes into play. Some takeaway containers are manufactured out of plastic and are commonly black. While attractive and recyclable, most recycling centers using automated optical sorters are unable to “see” the black containers, making them challenging to deal with. Despite our best efforts to recycle, sustainable food packaging ends up being the better choice all around from its sourcing and manufacturing process, to its usage and, finally, to its disposal!
Use reusable bags for retail and takeaway orders
Quickly replacing plastic bags are reusable biodegradable paper bags and extremely durable bagasse bags. For consumers that are trying to avoid plastic, sustainable reusable bags are appreciated and increase brand loyalty.
Reusable and sustainable bagasse bags can also be printed in full color, mirroring your brand’s color scheme. This is great for grocery shopping totes, wine shops, and epicurean food markets.
Let Servous Share more Sustainable Food Packaging Ideas for Your Business
Our complete line of sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable food packaging products answers the need of retailers who are seeking to maintain an eco-friendly environment for their customers.
Let our sustainable food packaging specialists at Servous help you determine which of our many bagasse bags, disposable cups, disposable straws, and sustainable food container options are right for you. Contact us today to speak with one of our experts so we can tailor the right solutions for your business, to meet your sustainability goals and your budget.
