Packaging and food sustainability

This chapter presents a deep investigation into the role of packaging within the sustainability of the food chains. In this context, food becomes a key element and the life cycle impacts related to both the packaging and the food, including the food that is not consumed, must be considered. Food waste, in fact, should be taken into great account since, in many cases, its environmental impact is higher than that arising from packaging. The weight of the impact of packaging materials over the total environmental impact of foods is variable, ranging from very low to very high, and this variability determines different suitable actions to undertake for sustainability improvements. The chapter presents various sustainability-oriented strategies based on the improvement of packaging efficiency and effectiveness, i.e., lightweighting, shift to more recyclable materials and to bioplastics, redesign of packaging configuration, adoption of active packaging solutions, and potential of nanotechnologies.