Influence of Packaging Design on Technical Emptiability of Dairy Products and Implications on Sustainability through Food Waste Reduction

Food loss and waste have been identified as significant contributors to existing environmental challenges. Previous studies have extensively quantified losses and waste throughout the value chain. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the influence of packaging design on food residue quant...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2024-08, Vol.16 (15), p.6335
Main Authors: Klein, Michelle, Werner, Charlotte, Tacker, Manfred, Apprich, Silvia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Consumer behavior
Dairy industry
Dairy products
Environmental impact
Food supply
Germany
Households
Packaging
Recycling (Waste, etc.)
Sustainable agriculture
United Kingdom
Waste management
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Food loss and waste have been identified as significant contributors to existing environmental challenges. Previous studies have extensively quantified losses and waste throughout the value chain. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the influence of packaging design on food residue quantities. This study analyses the technical emptiability of dairy product packaging, building upon previously described methods and proposing new methods for a standardized analysis. The results demonstrate significant variations in residue amounts depending on product type, fat content, viscosity, packaging type and design, as well as consumer handling. The findings indicate that residues of high-viscosity products, such as yoghurt drinks and buttermilk, can accumulate to a level exceeding 4% of the total filling weight in the packaging; meanwhile, the residues of low-viscosity products, such as milk, collectively represent less than 1% of the total filling weight. Consumer handling instructions on packaging significantly reduce residues, as shown by the instruction to shake before opening, which notably decreases the residues of high-viscosity products. Future legislation to minimize food waste and reduce the environmental impact of packaging will necessitate that the packaging industry produces easy-to-empty packaging. This will improve sorting, recycling, recyclate quality, and environmental impact, consequently enhancing the sustainability of dairy packaging.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su16156335