Food Waste & Sustainable Packaging Carol Zweep, NSF International PFAC Fall Conference November 7, 2016
Overview NSF Organization & Services Food Waste Food waste in Canada & globally Initiatives in other countries Packaging protects products & prevents waste Sustainable Packaging Packaging waste Approaches for sustainable packaging Examples Future trends Closing remarks
NSF Organization and Services
Our Mission NSF International is dedicated to being the leading global provider of public health and safety-based risk management solutions while serving the interests of all stakeholders, namely the public, the business community and government agencies. NSF International is a global, independent, public health and safety organization. Our mission and focus has always been protecting and improving human health. 4
Core Divisions
NSF Around the Globe NSF provides services in 168 countries with 75 office and laboratory locations. 6
CANADIAN OFFICE GUELPH, ON (GFTC SINCE 1996)
Services Certification & Verification Food Safety Systems Certification, Agriculture, Organic Certification (QAI), Label Claims (Non-GMO Project, Gluten Free) Food Safety and Quality Consulting GMP/HACCP/GFSI Gap and risk assessment, FSMA compliance support, product recall support, food fraud assessment Technical Services Product & Process Development Packaging Label Compliance (various countries and commodities) Training & Education online and customized on-site training, live webinars
Food Waste
Food Waste in Canada According to recent estimates, average Canadian household throws out between $1,000 and $1,500 worth of food each year (equivalent to bag of groceries for every four or five bags purchased) But 850,000 Canadians use food banks every month In Canada, $31 billion worth of food ends up in landfills or composters each year with 47% of food waste happening in the home (Value Chain Management International, 2014 report) Source: CBC News, CBC News, A $31B problem: How Canada sucks at reducing food waste (Oct 26, 2016) & How you can cut waste, save money and eat well (Oct 29, 2016)
Investigating Food Waste CBC Marketplace spent six months investigating the food thrown out by supermarkets (aired on Oct. 28 on CBC Television) Marketplace found dozens of bins full of food behind two Toronto-area Walmart locations. "Food waste is part of the food policy that we're going to deal with in the next year or two," Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay told CBC News. Source: CBC News, CBC News, A $31B problem: How Canada sucks at reducing food waste (Oct 26, 2016) & How you can cut waste, save money and eat well (Oct 29, 2016)
Global Food Loss/Waste Study suggest that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, amounting to about 1.3 billion tons per year (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production down to household consumption Source: Study conducted for the International Congress SAVE FOOD! at Interpack2011 Düsseldorf, Germany
Initiative by other countries France banned food waste, forcing supermarkets to sign agreements with charities so no edible food ends up in the trash Italy's Senate has passed a law that makes donating food easier for businesses and offers tax credits to supermarkets and farmers who donate September 2016, US EPA announced US first national food waste reduction goal of 50% reduction by 2030 The United Nations is adopting a similar objective as part of the new Sustainable Development Goals Source: CBC News, CBC News, A $31B problem: How Canada sucks at reducing food waste (Oct 26, 2016) & How you can cut waste, save money and eat well (Oct 29, 2016)
Packaging & Food Waste Packaging can play a large role in preventing food waste Under packaged food can result in damage and food spoilage Over packaging can lead to additional costs but increased material weight can have negative impact on the environment Designed properly, packaging provides longer shelf life (more time in the supply chain) and encourage consumer purchase Keeping food fresh is a key challenge for the packaging industry New packaging technologies such as active packaging (oxygen and ethylene scavengers) can extend shelf life
Packaging Protects Products, Prevents Waste A study in Europe called How Packaging Contributes to Food Waste Prevention finds that packaged fresh goods have a smaller environmental footprint than unpackaged food (even if the packaging is not recycled). The study finds that proper packaging results in less greenhouse gas emissions. Even though more packaging is being used, less food is being wasted, leading to a lower overall carbon footprint.
Packaging Protects Products, Prevents Waste A review of packaging that reduces food waste by EUROPEN (The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment) concludes: Packaging is part of the solution to tackle food waste. Packaging prevents food spoilage, ensures food quality and safety along the supply chain and at home, informs consumers on how to use and store packaged food products, increases shelf-life and provides portion sizes answering the multiple needs of consumer lifestyles and demographic changes.
Packaging & Food Waste
Food Recovery Hierarchy
End of Life Options SOLID WASTE Landfill Composting - Industrial & Home (aerobic) Biogasification (anaerobic digestion) Gasification (CO + H 2 ) Waste to Energy Incineration Recycling Chemical Mechanical Use of compost in soil
Science of Biodegradation Carbon substrate or food + microorganism O 2 No O 2 Water + CO 2 Humus + Heat CO 2 + Methane Humus + Heat (little) AEROBIC COMPOSTING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION Note: Methane is 21X strength as GHG than CO 2
Sustainable Packaging
Environmental Awareness Increase in media coverage Investors interested in socially responsible Companies incorporating sustainability in their business focus Consumers demanding green products and packaging Require sustainability initiatives that support environmental responsibility and economic benefit
Consumer Packaging Visibility
Packaging Waste Consumer products generate significant waste Packaging is a visible and significant part of the environmental waste issue In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash of which 34.3% was recycled and composted In 2010, Canadian households produced 25 million tonnes of non-hazardous solid waste of which 32.4% went was diverted (recycling or composting) Total Municipal Solid Waste, 2013 254 Million Tons (before recycling) Source: US Environmental Protection Agency, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures
Consumer Confusion
Eco-Labelling
What is the best option for sustainable packaging? DEPENDS ON THE PRODUCT NEEDS
SPC Definition: Sustainable Packaging 1. Is beneficial, safe & healthy throughout its life cycle 2. Meets market criteria for performance and cost 3. Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy 4. Maximizes use of renewable or recycled source materials 5. Uses clean production technologies 6. Is made from materials healthy in end of life scenarios 7. Is designed to optimize materials and energy 8. Is recovered and used in biological or industrial cradle to cradle cycles
Green Washing Want to protect/preserve the product Want to minimize environmental impact Don t want to mislead the consumer about the environmental benefits of the product 7 Sins of Green Washing Declarations, labels and claims provisions are available in ISO 14021 Environmental Claims: A Guide for Industry and Advertisers (Competition Bureau Canada) US FTC Guidelines on environmental marketing claims (FTC 260)
No Easy Answers A single-criterion approach cannot be used Lightweight from fossil resources vs heavier package from renewable source Heavy container reused many times vs light container used once then recycled
Life Cycle Assessment Measures the environmental impacts of products, processes or services, through production, usage, and disposal Goal is to compare the LCA of products to choose the least burdensome one BUT expensive and time consuming exercise that uses industry average inputs and becomes outdated with changes in technology International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 14040
LCA Identifies All Steps in a Package Life Cycle Chemical Pollution Mineral Depletion Energy Use Raw Material Extraction Raw Material Processing Package Conversion Distribution Consumer Use Transportation Transportation Retail storage Water Use Filling & Packaging GHG Emissions Disposal, Recycling or Reuse
Life Cycle Examples 1. Review of Lifecycle Inventory Study for Half-Gallon Milk Containers (ULS Report, October 2007) Conclusion: Based on study of half gallon containers (delivering 10,000 container uses) HDPE containers use less energy to produce, create less post-consumer solid waste, and generate lower GHG emissions than glass or PLA bottles 2. Life Cycle Assessment of coffee consumption: comparison of single-serve coffee and bulk coffee brewing (Quantis, 2015) Conclusion: Bulk brewed coffee has greater environmental impact due to amount of coffee required (including consumer waste) and electricity for brewing. This despite single-serve coffee generating more packaging waste.
Approaches for Sustainable Packaging Reuse/Repurpose Reduce Recycle Use renewable source materials Use responsibly sourced materials Review manufacturing process Optimize package design Examine distribution system Create a corporate sustainability plan Source: www.durhamyorkwaste.ca
Practical Steps to Sustainability Reuse/Repurpose: Containers reused for numerous cycles (reusable bulk containers i.e., plastic vs fiber corrugated boxes) Making items from packaging waste (i.e. TerraCycle, Eco-Connect Bottle System)
Practical Steps to Sustainability Reduce: Eliminate unnecessary packaging extra secondary pkg, single large vs multi small packages Light weight materials thinner gauge, less material Source alternative materials flexible vs. rigid packaging Design package to minimize material usage and minimize scrap during production case style selection, cut out waste for boxboard, thermoform vs injection
Practical Steps to Sustainability Recycle: Promote package recycling through material choices and package design use of recycled content & recyclable materials, consider avoiding use of multilayer materials Canadian Waste Diversion Rate (2010) Province % Waste Diversion NL No data PE No data NS 42 NB 22.4 QC 28.7 ON 22.9 MB 15.8 SK 13.2 AB 15.4 BC 35.4 YT,NT,NU No data Source: Waste Management Industry Survey, Statistics Canada
Material Recovery Promote consumer recycling (How2Recycle program) Design for recyclability (adhesive, inks, full body sleeves) and separatability (optic sensor separation) Better recycling of polymer waste (bottle to bottle recycling i.e. Ice River Springs)
Practical Steps to Sustainability Renewable Source: Bio-based polymer - polymers based on materials produced by living organisms Why develop bio-based materials for packaging? Reduce carbon footprint plants use CO 2 Renewable resource compared to petroleum based materials Alternate end-of-life scenario biodegradation or recycling
Bio-based Polymers Categories COMPOSTABLE NOT COMPOSTABLE Starch based polymer Polymer from Chemical or Renewable Source i.e. cellulosic film, PLA, PHA, some polyesters Fibre based Polymer with Renewable Source Component i.e. PLA blended with conventional plastics Conventional Polymer from Renewable Source
Renewable Source Compostable Coffee Pods PlantBottle made from renewable resource (30%)
New Developments- Biopolymers Improve production efficiency Use less energy, have less CO 2 emissions Non-food feed stock Methane, waste water, agricultural waste (corn cob, stover), switch grasses Sustainable farming practices Non-GMO seeds, no carcinogenic chemicals, soil fertility testing and residue management to avoid soil erosion and water quality issues Chemical Recycling Depolymerize - economics to process PLA back into lactic acid are attractive
Practical Steps to Sustainability Responsibly source materials: Using recycled content Using certified fiber Material health Forest Certification Programs
Practical Steps to Sustainability Minimizing waste, reduce energy and water consumption in the manufacturing process Optimize package design to: Reduce product damage in the distribution system (primary, secondary, tertiary) Increase in filling/packing line efficiency Maximize product/packaging volume ratio and packaging efficiency in unit and distribution packaging Maximize shelf life, minimize product waste
Practical Steps to Sustainability Transport efficiency Minimize transportation distance Minimize transport impact i.e. ocean instead of air travel, transport by rail instead of truck
Practical Steps to Sustainability Create clear corporate sustainability plan Build a business case, build a team Review currents practices Devise metrics to track progress and savings Create systems that lead to identification of current problems and drive the continuous elimination of waste Re-assess and refine plan to meet goals Celebrate success
Consumer Product Examples of Sustainable Packaging Initiatives
Light-weighting Initiatives Between 2000 and 2014, the average weight of a 16.9-ounce PET (half-liter) plastic bottle has declined 48% to 9.89 grams This has resulted in a savings of 6.2 billion pounds of PET resin since 2000 Source: IBWA (www.bottledwater.org) New PET RightWeight bottle weighs 7.95g, compared to an average of 12g for commercial 500ml water bottles
Kraft Salad Dressing Bottle Redesign Old New Results Delivered consumer value (easy to hold, pour & store) Maintained shelf life, distribution & line performance 19% resin reduction (3MM lbs/yr) 18% reduction in shipping of empty bottles Eliminated 3.9M corrugated totes/yr
Daylesford Organic Ecolean Packages Daylesford Organic (UK), organic milk is sold in containers made by Ecolean 1 litre Ecolean Air package weighs a mere 16 grams (43-52% lighter than a traditional liquid food carton, bottle or can) and stores flat Source: www.daylesfordorganic.com, www.ecolean.com
Environmental Comparison - Ecolean Air Energy Consumption Greenhouse Gas Emission Water Pollution Outputs for the manufacture of 100 000 packages, 1.0 litre size. Source: www.ecolean.com
Hunt s Ketchup Light weight Bottle Plastipak (Constar) PET bottle for ConAgra Foods' Hunt's Ketchup was the winner of AmeriStar's 3M Sustainable Packaging Award for 2007 The bottle is recyclable, lightweight and contains an oxygen scavenger (DiamondClear ).
Nature s Path Package Change ECO-PACs (66% less packaging) 437 tons of paperboard saved/yr 7,464 million BTUs saved/yr 1,389,232 lbs of CO 2 equivalent/yr 826,542 gallons of wastewater saved/yr 248,383 lbs of solid waste diverted/yr Source: Nature s Path News Release, September 5, 2007
Nature s Path Package Change EnviroBox (package size reduced by 10%) 4.921 million litres of water/yr 942,128 KWh of energy/yr 144 tons of paperboard/yr 400 tractor trailers removed from highways
Kenco Coffee Package Change Kenco coffee's Eco-Refill package (UK) delivers a 70% savings in the packaging's carbon impact and uses 97% less packaging compared to the glass jar Source: www.mondelezinternational.com
Kraft Package Change Kraft YES Pack (US) is recyclable, uses 60 % less plastic packaging, uses 50% less energy and releases 70% less CO 2 emissions during inbound transportation than the previous plastic jug design Source: www.mondelezinternational.com
Replenish Cleaner Refill A reusable, durable bottle for a cleaning product with replaceable, screw-on concentrate pod cartridges Uses 90% less plastic, oil and CO2 emissions compared to pre-mixed cleaners Out of a normal bottle of cleaner, only 5% is cleaner and the rest is plastic and water Source: Data Monitor, March 2013
Sustainability is + Complex and Evolving
Future Trends Consumer education - Proposed How2Compost program (GreenBlue) Material recovery infrastructure & end markets - Novel marking and sorting techniques - Flexible packaging diversion Energy from waste - New and emerging technologies
Future Trends Technology and innovation Active & intelligent packaging, nanotechnology Bio-based polymer development (bacteria use of methane/solid waste, starch from potato processing) Renewable source for conventional plastics (100% biobased Plant Bottle ) Edible packaging (Ooho!)
Closing Remarks Packaging can protect the product and prevent food waste Packaging is part of the sustainability issue Industry must balance consumer demands for sustainable products with demands for convenience, performance, appearance and cost Must not loose sight of producing a quality package that protects a product and delivers it safely to the consumer without misleading the consumer
Mr. Fusion Home Energy Reactor
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