Food packaging accounts for about 60% of all plastics manufactured globally (1).
That indicates that 228 million metric tons of the 380 million tons of plastics produced in 2015 were only for food packaging (1, 2).
Many individuals strive to substantially cut plastic manufacturing and improve recycling — as well as promote more sustainable food packaging — due to the environmental and human health implications of nondegradable plastic packaging.
This article highlights the importance of eco-friendly food packaging, recommends five types to try, and warns you about a few to avoid.
Why is sustainable food packaging important?
Concerns about plastics include their buildup in the seas and landfills, the production of micro-and nanoplastics, and human exposure to poisons when chemicals in food packaging leach into meals (1, 3).
In addition to the chemicals needed to make plastics, various non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) is discovered in food packaging. These substances are hazardous to humans and can alter their endocrine systems (1, 3).
Nonetheless, eco-friendly packaging solutions are becoming more common.
These eco-friendly food packages frequently include bioplastics and plant-based extracts, such as wheat, wood, and bamboo, that are biodegradable, reusable, and devoid of dangerous chemicals (4, 5, 6, 7).
While they have been proven to contain chemicals and NIAS, studies show that the flow of chemicals into food and your body with eco-friendly packaging is considerably lower than with plastics, making them safer for the environment and human health (3, 7, 8).
Exposure to chemicals in food packaging is unavoidable, but attempts to prevent chemical transfer into food are critical for human health (3).
Sustainable food packaging options
Here are five eco-friendly food packaging solutions that are healthier for the environment – and your health.
1. Glass containers
Glass has several applications and benefits in everyday life.
It is a reusable, recyclable, and long-lasting material that is also simple to clean and use as portable food packing. Water bottles and bento boxes are examples of glass food and drink containers (9).
Glass lids, however, leak, making them unsuitable for portable containers to take to work, school, or on a trip.
As a result, most of these portable glass food containers include snap-locking plastic lids with silicone seals or bamboo lids that function as portable cutting boards.
Choose lids that are free of bisphenol-A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor that has been linked to male and female infertility as well as tumor formation (10).
These containers, unless broken, have a 3.5-times longer lifespan than plastics and may be recycled when disposed of, lessening the negative environmental effect of plastics (11).
Shop for glass containers online
- glass containers with snap-locking plastic lids
- glass containers with bamboo lids
- glass water bottles
2. Stainless steel
Food-grade stainless steel is long-lasting, rust-free, and resistant to heat, making it an excellent choice for food storage. It may also be reused and recycled.
Although stainless steel bento lunch boxes are commonly available, most manufacturers employ silicone to prevent leaks, either through a silicone seal with locking steel clips or colorful, BPA-free, food-safe silicone lids.
Glass storage jars with stainless steel and airtight lids are ideal for storing bulk commodities such as flours, grains, and spices.
Shop for stainless steel containers online
- bento lunch boxes
- containers with lockable steel clips
- containers with silicone lids
- countertop bulk storage jars with stainless steel lids
3. Bamboo
Bamboo is biodegradable and has several desired properties for food packaging, such as durability and heat resistance (12).
Countertop glass jars with bamboo lids, portable plastic-free lunch boxes with bamboo lids, bamboo bread boxes, and bamboo serving bowls are examples of bamboo-containing food packaging.
Remember that bamboo or other plant fiber food containers are less robust than glass or stainless steel and wear and break more quickly.
Shop for bamboo containers online
- countertop bulk storage jars with bamboo lids
- stainless steel lunch boxes with bamboo lids
- bamboo bread boxes
- bamboo serving bowls
4. Rice husk
Rice husk is a low-cost, renewable, biodegradable byproduct of rice production (13).
Rice husk was shown to exhibit bio-adsorbent qualities in one research, implying it absorbs contaminants from its surroundings (13).
This compound makes products such as sealable lunch boxes and shatterproof serving bowls.
Shop for rice husk containers online
5. Gelatin films
Because of its benign characteristics, low cost, and consistent film-forming capabilities, gelatin films are becoming more popular for food packaging (14, 15, 16).
Gelatin is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (17).
Antimicrobial cellulose is used to fill gelatin films, which prevents the growth of common organisms that cause foodborne sicknesses, such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. Because of these active filters, gelatin films are a safer alternative to traditional plastics (15).
The two significant fillers for gelatin food packaging are microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and rosin-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (r-CNCs).
Types of plastic to avoid
Many additives are used in conventional plastics, including stabilizers, fillers, plasticizers, flame retardants, and, more recently, antimicrobials (1, 5).
These petroleum-based plastics are not biodegradable, so they will not break down into natural substances.
Instead, they degrade into micro-and nanoplastic particles that pollute the environment and endanger natural ecosystems and human health (1, 2, 3, 8).
While these modifications may result in a more desired plastic product that allows for food storage and transportation, the chemicals they contain pollute the environment and raise the risk of endocrine disorders and cancer in people (1, 11, 18).
Here are three petroleum-based polymers to avoid.
1. Single-use plastics
Straws, beverage bottles, bottle caps, Styrofoam cups, and plastic bags are the most often used, unsustainable, and improperly discarded single-use plastics.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a buildup of plastic garbage in the Pacific Ocean between Japan and Hawaii — exemplifies the devastation caused by single-use plastics in oceans and coastal regions.
2. Plastics with BPA
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a plasticizer ingredient used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a substance used in a wide range of plastic items (10).
BPA accumulates in the environment and migrates from food packaging to the food itself. It may raise the risk of infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and other metabolic abnormalities if consumed (10).
3. Plastic takeout containers
The widespread usage of disposable takeout containers generates significant volumes of garbage, which adds to pollution and environmental pollutants (19).
Tips for cutting down on the use of plastic packaging
- Replace single-use plastic straws with reusable metal or bamboo straws. Cleaning brushes for reusable straws are essential for the sanitary upkeep of these goods. Paper straws, on the other hand, are biodegradable and eco-friendly.
- Choose nonplastic or BPA-free reusable water bottles and think about purchasing a bottle brush.
- At-home water filters, such as faucet filters or pitchers with filters, can help minimize the consumption of single-use plastic water bottles.
- Skip the utensils the next time you order takeout to reduce your consumption of single-use plastic. Use your utensils instead.
- When it comes to replacing food containers, glass is preferable to plastic.
- Instead of traditional, petroleum-based plastics, look for biodegradable, bioplastic goods.
- Reduce your carbon footprint by recycling proper plastic food packaging.
- Washing and reusing plastic food containers like Tupperware and zip bags may help lessen their environmental effect (11).
Shop for some of these products online
- cleaning brushes for reusable straws
- cleaning brushes for water bottles
- faucet water filters
- water filter pitchers
Companies at the forefront of eco-friendly packaging
The firms listed below manufacture sustainable, biodegradable food packaging.
BioPak
BioPak is an Australian firm that produces environmentally friendly, paper-based disposable food packaging made from trees supplied from sustainably managed plantations.
Hot mugs, takeout containers, and cutlery are among the items available. Paper, not petroleum, is used to make the company’s bioplastic goods.
The Robinette Company
The Robinette Company specializes in post-consumer recycled film and paper, which contributes to a circular economy in which resources are reused rather than discarded and is FDA-approved.
Stand-up pouches for snacks and grains, laminated rolls for packaging, and printed film and paper are among the products available.
PrimeWare
PrimeWare is an American distributor that sells eco-friendly, disposable items to restaurants.
Compostable food containers, paper straws, hot cups with lids, and dinnerware are among the products available (plates, bowls, and trays).
PouchEco
PouchEco creates plastic-free, plant-based stand-up pouches that are biodegradable and disintegrate into organic stuff.
This company provides resealable pouches to food firms that sell gourmet vegetarian sausages, tofu, and gummy vitamins.
Ecologic Brands
Ecologic Brands is another American firm that makes the Eco.bottle, a sustainable, biodegradable bottle manufactured from recycled cartons.
The bottom line
Petroleum-based food packaging pollutes the environment and offers a variety of health hazards, including metabolic diseases and cancer.
While it may be hard to avoid all plastics, choosing eco-friendly food packaging that is biodegradable, less toxic, and recyclable is essential to reducing plastics’ negative impacts on your health and the environment.
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