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Mapping the Influence of Food Waste in Food Packaging Environmental Performance Assessments

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  • Martin C. Heller
  • Susan E. M. Selke
  • Gregory A. Keoleian

Abstract

Scrutiny of food packaging environmental impacts has led to a variety of sustainability directives, but has largely focused on the direct impacts of materials. A growing awareness of the impacts of food waste warrants a recalibration of packaging environmental assessment to include the indirect effects due to influences on food waste. In this study, we model 13 food products and their typical packaging formats through a consistent life cycle assessment framework in order to demonstrate the effect of food waste on overall system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cumulative energy demand (CED). Starting with food waste rate estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we calculate the effect on GHG emissions and CED of a hypothetical 10% decrease in food waste rate. This defines a limit for increases in packaging impacts from innovative packaging solutions that will still lead to net system environmental benefits. The ratio of food production to packaging production environmental impact provides a guide to predicting food waste effects on system performance. Based on a survey of the food LCA literature, this ratio for GHG emissions ranges from 0.06 (wine example) to 780 (beef example). High ratios with foods such as cereals, dairy, seafood, and meats suggest greater opportunity for net impact reductions through packaging‐based food waste reduction innovations. While this study is not intended to provide definitive LCAs for the product/package systems modeled, it does illustrate both the importance of considering food waste when comparing packaging alternatives, and the potential for using packaging to reduce overall system impacts by reducing food waste.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin C. Heller & Susan E. M. Selke & Gregory A. Keoleian, 2019. "Mapping the Influence of Food Waste in Food Packaging Environmental Performance Assessments," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(2), pages 480-495, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:23:y:2019:i:2:p:480-495
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.12743
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    Cited by:

    1. Lotta Ruippo & Hanna Koivula & Jaana Korhonen & Anne Toppinen & Eliisa Kylkilahti, 2023. "Innovating for Sustainability: Attributes, Motivations, and Responsibilities in the Finnish Food Packaging Ecosystem," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 919-937, June.
    2. Christina Tsouti & Christina Papadaskalopoulou & Angeliki Konsta & Panagiotis Andrikopoulos & Margarita Panagiotopoulou & Sofia Papadaki & Christos Boukouvalas & Magdalini Krokida & Katerina Valta, 2023. "Investigating the Environmental Benefits of Novel Films for the Packaging of Fresh Tomatoes Enriched with Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Compounds through Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Usha Ramanathan & Ramakrishnan Ramanathan & Abiodun Adefisan & Tamíris Da Costa & Xavier Cama-Moncunill & Gautam Samriya, 2022. "Adapting Digital Technologies to Reduce Food Waste and Improve Operational Efficiency of a Frozen Food Company—The Case of Yumchop Foods in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Cheila Almeida & Philippe Loubet & Tamíris Pacheco da Costa & Paula Quinteiro & Jara Laso & David Baptista de Sousa & Ronan Cooney & Sinead Mellett & Guido Sonnemann & Carlos José Rodríguez & Neil Row, 2022. "Packaging environmental impact on seafood supply chains: A review of life cycle assessment studies," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(6), pages 1961-1978, December.
    5. Luisa Marie Altenburger & Stella-Maria Yerokhin & Leonard Mayer & Samanthi Dijkstra-Silva, 2024. "Innovations to overcome the current waste problem caused by single-use plastics in the pursuit of a circular economy," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Burek, Jasmina & Nutter, Darin W., 2020. "Environmental implications of perishables storage and retailing☆," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).

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