Rethinking Barrier Films, Food Waste and the Circular Economy
In this interview, Flexible Packaging discusses emerging issues around food waste and packaging with Claire Koelsch Sand, owner and CEO at Packaging Technology and Research. Topics include food waste packaging trends, film materials and how the circular economy tidal wave intersects with flexible packaging’s mission of extending shelf-life.
As more consumer demands and regulations are placed on consumer packaged goods companies (CPG), food packaging has to extend shelf-life, present new consumer experiences and reduce food waste while at a very low price per unit. Food waste is increasing across the world, and at times, it seems the primary purpose of packaging is getting lost. As the industry wrestles with sustainable film material development, the U.S. wastes 80 billion pounds of food per year.
Flexible Packaging reached out to Claire Sand, owner and CEO at Packaging Technology and Research, to discuss food safety packaging trends and how the circular economy mandates are affecting material development in general. Recently, Claire’s company released a 2021 research paper with Value Chain Management International, titled, “Unwrapping the Arguments: Solving Packaging and Food Waste Through Government and Industry Collaboration.”