Why paper packaging is a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging

With consumers expecting food brands to reflect their environmental values, paper meets the three Ps of successful food packaging, protection, preservation and presentation.

As the food industry adapts to consumers' growing preference for e-commerce, scaling up environmentally friendly infrastructure is becoming increasingly important. One of the most important opportunities for food businesses to go green is to re-evaluate their packaging.

Paper - a sustainable alternative

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend for consumers to stay at home instead of going to restaurants or supermarkets for prepared meals and groceries. Consumers expect their purchases to be packaged in a sustainable manner.

This prospect elevates the role of packaging in what brand experience companies offer. For example, prepared meal kits have become more popular during the pandemic. But when customers open the meal packs to find each ingredient in a separate plastic bag surrounded by other plastic packaging, it can undermine the brand's eco-conscious image. Sustainable food is simply not available without sustainable packaging. As food e-commerce continues to accelerate, sustainability becomes an important brand differentiator along with food quality and ease of preparation.

In many cases, brands looking for more responsible options are a clear trend. As food packaging, paper is a cost-competitive alternative to plastic and other fossil fuel-derived materials that is both sustainable and recyclable.

Paper has always performed as well or better than plastic when it comes to ensuring food and beverages are undamaged, at the right temperature and remain safe to eat.

Maximize efficiency

Paper packaging also mitigates some of the lesser-known impacts of plastics on climate change. Packaging-related waste shows that putting thought into food logistics can have a meaningful impact. Both paper and plastic can be used as void fillers to fill boxed foods and protect them from damage. But in addition to being made from curbside-recyclable renewable resources, paper is also available as an "on-demand solution." This means workers can determine the appropriate use for packaging a given item, rather than opting for prefabricated plastic items, which create waste and even more pollution.

Packaging is one area where the food business and most other industries need to reassess their efficiency and environmental impact. Applying this mindset throughout the food supply chain will go a long way towards reducing emissions and waste, while saving money.