Power and responsibility in transition to sustainable food packaging

Abstract

This chapter builds on Chapters 5 and 6 on food and human waste and considers the institutional, policy and consumer aspects of food packaging, which produces a major proportion of the global waste, plastic waste in particular. However, food packaging is a double-edged tool as it is needed in order to promote ecologically sustainable development, as it is an efficient way to prevent food waste. This chapter argues that we need to reduce both food and packaging waste via creating more sustainable packaging solutions, the challenge of which is not primarily a technological one. Authors of this chapter argue that because of the underlying layers of institutions, policies, and consumer behaviour, first the roles of different actors in the transition process towards CE food packaging should be considered, instead of the technological questions put forward. Based on a wide array of interviews with stakeholders in Finland, this chapter analyses how consumers, policy-makers, NGOs, and businesses view their possibilities and barriers, power and responsibilities to promote the transition towards CE food packaging.