Consumer Perceptions of the Role of Packaging in Reducing Food Waste: Packaging Design Concepts

Food packaging has been recently framed as a significant environmental issue. Still, the relationship between packaging and food waste, and the impacts that food waste can have on the environment, have been underrepresented in sustainability campaigns for consumers. Existing research has found that packaging is often viewed as having a negative impact on the environment because it is ‘left over’ once a product is consumed and must be disposed of. However, in many cases, packaging protects food and prolongs its shelf-life, reducing food waste and the consequent negative environmental impact. If it is designed correctly, food packaging can reduce household food waste. Packaging designed with food waste in mind can extend the shelf-life of food products, cater to different-sized households (and therefore reduce leftovers), communicate the best way to use and store a food item, and assist households in using date labels to manage their food better.