It is well established that the use of food packaging is associated with negative socio-economic impacts, such as the use of fossil resources, plastic pollution (FPF reported), and exposure to known harmful plastic chemicals (FPF reported and here). Individual measures to mitigate these impacts, such as promoting plastic recycling or introducing disposable and biodegradable “sustainable” packaging materials, have been implemented but raise safety concerns due to chemical contamination and other adverse impacts (FPF reported and here), and also fail to address underlying systemic drivers of plastic overconsumption.
In an article published on February 7, 2026, in the journal Globalization and Health, Sabrina Chakori, a researcher associated with The University of Queensland and The University of Sydney, Australia, and co-authors adopt a systems approach to identify the socio-economic drivers of single-use plastic food packaging and explore comprehensive strategies for reducing its use.
First, the authors emphasize that the conversation needs to shift from “food packaging” to “packaged food”, i.e., the actual product exchanged on the market, which includes both the packaging and the food content. The latter can itself have health impacts (e.g., ultra-processed foods; FPF reported).
Drivers of packaged food
Chakori and co-authors identify three major drivers of packaged food:
(1) Globalization: With the establishment of the World Trade Organization and the expansion of bilateral, multilateral, and regional trade agreements, food transportation across global supply chains has increased to stimulate economic growth. Packaging has become an essential component of these systems, which are increasingly dominated by a small number of large food corporations that can outcompete small producers, resulting in more complex supply chains and greater reliance on packaging – predominantly lightweight plastics.
(2) Urbanization: As populations become more urbanized, people move further away from agricultural production areas, increasing the need for food storage and long-distance transport, and thus for food packaging.
(3) Household dynamics: The shift towards dual-worker households (including increased female employment) has reduced the time available for domestic food preparation, while increasing demand for convenient, packaged, and processed foods. Although men’s cooking time has increased, it does not compensate for the decrease in women’s cooking time.
Measures to reduce dependence on packaged food
Considering these drivers, the scientists propose system-level policy changes, including “degrowth” approaches. Suggested measures include shifting responsibility to producers, disincentivizing global food trade, and promoting the use of local resources. To address urbanization and household dynamics, they also recommend reducing working hours to enable more time for preparing fresh, unpackaged food.
With their study, the authors aim “to shift the conversation away from individual-focused solutions towards systemic and structural approaches.”
To support their analysis, the scientists developed a stock-and-flow model (SFM) representing key components of the food system in the United States from 1960 to 2020. They emphasize that their modeling methodology can be applied to other countries and even at the global level.
Reference
Chakori, S. et al. (2026). “Food packaging: identifying the socioeconomic drivers and reduction opportunities through system dynamics modelling.” Globalization and Health. DOI: 10.1186/s12992-026-01191-2
