One pillar in the transition from a linear to a circular economy is the shift from single-use to repeat-use food packaging. Several reports have highlighted the benefits of reuse over recycling (FPF reported) and consumer demand for reusable packaging exists (FPF reported).
Now, Ronan Farrell from the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, Ireland, and co-authors reviewed the suitability of different food packaging materials for reuse by summarizing their functions and properties. Their article was published on September 23, 2024, in the journal Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry.
Farrell and co-authors approached the question by listing and elaborating on six functions of food packaging:
- Containment to allow food distribution and separation from other foods.
- Protection against physical and biological damage (spoilage) to preserve the food.
- Convenience i.e., facilitating a product’s use.
- Communication as required by law (e.g., price, ingredients) or for marketing reasons.
- Tamper indication making it evident if a packaging has been opened already, e.g., snap rings on bottle caps.
- Traceability to track the movement of a product, e.g., by a barcode.
The authors further outlined that the properties of a food contact material (FCM) influence how well the respective FCM can fulfill these functions. The properties they advise keeping in mind when deciding on the suitability of a material for a certain application include permeability, mechanical performance, migration aspects, light barrier properties, and prevention of microbial contamination. Considering these properties, Farrell et al. discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the different FCMs including their recyclability.
The authors predominantly evaluated the FCMs’ suitability for circularity by looking at their recyclability and only slightly touched upon reuse. Concerning plastic reuse, they pointed out that it “can potentially reduce the overall environmental impact associated with the use of plastic packaging; however, numerous factors such as the choice of packaging material, method of cleaning, logistics and consumer willingness must be thoroughly considered to ensure their viability and success.” In addition, they emphasized investing more effort in enhancing the circularity (reuse) of plastics given their beneficial properties compared to other materials. Only a few studies have investigated how numerous cycles of washing, microbial contamination, and use affect the intrinsic properties of a material such as mechanical performance or thermal stability. Consequently, the scientists called for more research on that topic to allow for robust evaluation of a material’s suitability for reuse.
More studies exist on the influence of reuse on the cosmetic quality of packaging and the migration of chemicals, Farell and co-authors clarified. For instance, a study detected 509 chemicals in plastic FCMs made for reuse while 853 chemicals were identified in recycled PET alone (FPF reported).
The Food Packaging Forum (FPF) provides four tips for the safer use of reusable food packaging in light of chemical migration (FPF reported). A set of fact sheets further introduces five common material types used in food packaging and the material properties that can affect their application, chemical safety, and recycling (FPF reported).
Reuse is also a topic in the Plastics Treaty negotiations (FPF reported). Scientists have argued that the treaty needs to financially incentivize reduction, reuse, and redesign (upstream solutions) instead of waste management (downstream solutions) (FPF reported).
Reference
Farrell, R. et al. (2024). “The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy.” Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. DOI: 10.1016/j.crgsc.2024.100429
