Awards recognise packaging's role in reducing food waste

Innovative and sustainable packaging that minimises food waste will be recognised by a new awards program launched by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP).

The Save Food Packaging Awards will recognise packaging designs from Australia and New Zealand that reduce food losses, extend shelf life and improve the supply of food.

Entries will be considered in the following three categories:

1. Agriculture — Industrial
2. Food Services
3. Retail (primary packaging)

The winners of each category will automatically be submitted into the international World Packaging Organisation Save Food Packaging Awards.

According to award chairman Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPP, “A key component of the Save Food Packaging Awards is to raise the profile of the critical role of packaging to reduce food waste and therefore reduce products’ overall environmental impact. It is time that packaging technologists are designing packaging to save food.”

Pienaar said that up to 50% of the edible food produced does not reach the fork, and while the primary function of packaging is to protect the content, the function of packaging to reduce food waste is rarely discussed.

“Avoiding and preventing food loss and waste can considerably limit the scope of additional resource requirements, because approximately 30% of the food that is currently lost and wasted would already be sufficient to feed the starving world population,” he said.

Applications close on 15 April 2016. Application forms are available from the AIP website.