Around 20% of all food worldwide gets wasted rather than consumed according to United Nations findings. Reducing these unacceptable losses requires a multifaceted approach targeting systemic infrastructure upgrades across supply chains. Nevertheless, overlooked everyday packaging plays a pivotal role maintaining integrity from farms to processing plants on through transit, warehouses, retailers and homes. Optimizing packaging helps extend shelf lives and product freshness resulting in less edible food discarded uneaten.
The Benefits of EPS Food Packaging
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) in the form of containers, trays, coolers and inserts offers protective, insulating and cost effective food packaging properties. EPS food packaging blocks temperature flux to preserve freshness in transit while preventing punctures, leaks, or pest contamination. The smooth polystyrene foam surface resists absorbing moisture and fluids. EPS packs cleanly and cycles smoothly through food processing lines. It also stacks evenly avoiding damaging compression strains during storage and transport.
These pragmatic features make food packaging EPS a smart choice for perishable goods like meat, dairy, frozen meals, pandemic vaccines and farm harvests. EPS food packaging earns high marks maintaining the integrity of contents from facilities through to end use destinations. Fortifying goods this way extends expiration dates by weeks, resulting in increased consumption rather than disposal. Environmental concerns around EPS recycling continue improving too, thanks to companies like Epsilyte.
Sustainability Trends in Food Packaging
As urgency amplifies around mitigating plastics waste and food loss simultaneously, product engineers progress more eco-friendly packaging options. Compostable bioplastics made from plants like corn starch or seaweed extract emerge as promising alternatives to traditional plastic polymers and foams. However, these newer materials lack the long-term track record of food packaging EPS upholding product security through rough supply chain conditions.
Right-sized tray proportions also assist consumers and food buyers with proper meal planning and moderation. Spill-proof designs prevent food safety issues, contamination and disruptive leaks. Each innovation in packaging sustainability aims to strike the optimal balance between environmental gains and product protection functionality.
Blocking External Elements
Perhaps the most valuable yet underappreciated functionality packaging offers relates directly to physically safeguarding contents from external detriments. Everything from temperature flux to compression, punctures, leaks or pests poses an opportunity for product damage or contamination. When items get compromised early on, accelerated waste repercussions echo through full supply chains.
Insulated boxes, breathable films, vacuum and modified atmospheric packing balance gases and humidity to establish microclimates preserving freshness. Sturdy stackable crates endure compression strains of restless transport. Corner protection braces and foam inserts shield sensitive spots from harm. The various packaging options protect product quality from origin to store. Fortifying goods this way extends expiration dates by weeks resulting in increased consumption not disposal.
Informing Smarter Consumption
Confusion around deciphering freshness coding leads customers and companies to accidentally discard substantial consumable volumes. Thankfully, progress in clarifying and standardizing dates printed on containers alleviates uncertainty. Explicit verbiage distinguishing health safety deadlines from peak quality dates prevent premature purging of items still fine to enjoy.
Digital links and scannable codes connecting packs directly to brand hubs also clear up storage, handling and shelf life FAQs. This helps customers plan their shopping and spending more effectively, reducing waste.
Conclusion
Upgrading systems to stem food losses requires collaboration across agriculture, processing, logistics and consumer partners. Dialing in more conscientious and value-driven purchasing, handling, storage and meal planning habits helps as well, but doubling down on packaging protection and communication sets the stage for less wasted food. When contents preserve integrity from facilities to homes with reliable guidance on safety and quality, what gets bought gets eaten. This converts to smaller volumes of food dumped annually, benefitting budgets, emissions and hunger goals.
