New RMIT-led research reveals most Australians think food packaging waste is a bigger environmental issue than food waste – but the opposite is true.
With Australians wasting four times more food than food packaging, experts are calling for a more nuanced approach to help consumers and industry understand packaging’s role in reducing food waste, rather than a simple war on plastic.
The research, supported by the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), surveyed 965 Australian consumers on their perceptions of the role of packaging in reducing food waste.
RMIT project lead Professor Linda Brennan said consumers’ negative perceptions of packaging were due to it being seen as a single-use waste product that needed to be disposed of once the food had been consumed.
“A lot of people don’t realise packaging can play an important role in preventing food waste,” said Brennan, from the School of Media and Communications.
“Packaging designed with food waste reduction in mind can keep food fresher for longer and provide protection from damage.”
A final report consolidating the team’s five-year research included alternative packaging designs to save food.
Suggestions included better date labeling, divided portions for bulk foods, resealable packaging and clearer communications on how to best avoid bacterial contamination.