Eric Le Lay, President, Huhtamaki Fiber and Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania
When it comes to the environment, as well as functionality and safety, it is paramount that we base our decisions on scientific evidence.
Food packaging is essential, it ensures safety and hygiene – and enables access to safe, hygienic food for all wherever you are. With 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses worldwide each year, access to safely packaged food is vital. Evidence-based decision making is needed when looking at environmentally viable fit-for purpose packaging solutions that enable these resilient and safe supply chains.
Despite widely held common misconceptions, today’s scientific data gives clear evidence that reusables can carry significant environmental burdens. Based on real life data by a leading global, independent consultancy, Ramboll, there is no longer any doubt that paper-based single-use food packaging used in Quick Service Restaurants delivers significantly better environmental outcomes, supporting public health and European consumers
To make environmentally viable decisions, it is imperative to establish scientific evidence on the true impacts throughout the full life cycle of existing alternatives, and thereby provide crucial data for conversations around food packaging, climate, and better regulation. It is paramount that policy decisions adopted today consider both carbon emissions and freshwater consumptions, and that all industries and sectors review how they can reduce their impacts.
“Packaging plays a significant role in driving access to safe and hygienic food for millions across the world. Today, based on real life data, we also know that compared to reusables, paper-based single-use food packaging used in Quick Service Restaurants can deliver significantly better environmental outcomes and improved hygiene, whilst also being a better financial proposition,” says Eric Le Lay, President of Huhtamaki Fiber and Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania and Acting President of the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA).
We should stop the guessing game when looking at environmentally viable solutions, trust the science and work together to make our economies circular.
Sustainable fiber packaging delivers safety, reduces food waste, and enables well-being and convenience. By partnering across the value chain, we will be able to develop sustainable and circular packaging solutions for the future.