Sustainable food packaging: An updated definition following a holistic approach

Food packaging solutions need to be redesigned to be more sustainable, but determining which solution is 'more optimal' is a very difficult task when considering the entire food product value chain. Previous papers paved the way toward a sustainable food packaging definition, but it is far from being commonly accepted or well usable in the broad food systems domain, which further results in uninformed choices for sustainable food packaging made by all stakeholders in the value chain: producers, distributors, practitioners and consumers. Therefore, this work aims first at giving a state-of-the-art overview of sustainable food packaging terms (38 similar terms were identified and grouped into four clusters: Sustainable, Circular, Bio and Other sustainable packaging) and definitions using systematic (narrative) review analysis and 'controlled expert opinion feedback' methodology. Second, it aims to offer an updated definition for sustainable food packaging, which is also specific to food packaging and be simple, coherent, easily understandable, and communicable to everybody. The applied holistic approach intends to include all aspects of the food-packaging unit, to consider food safety and packaging functionality, while taking into account different disciplines and challenges related to food packaging along the supply chain. Being a balancing act, a sustainable food packaging may not be a perfect solution, but contextual, suboptimal and in need of constant validation.

Automated summary

Redesigning food packaging solutions to be more sustainable is a difficult task due to the complexity of the entire food value chain. This work aims to provide an overview of sustainable food packaging terms and definitions, and proposes an updated definition that is specific to food packaging and easily understandable by all stakeholders. The holistic approach considers all aspects of the food-packaging unit, including food safety and functionality, while addressing challenges along the supply chain. The goal is to develop a sustainable food packaging solution that is contextual, suboptimal, and constantly validated.