BY UE STUDIO

Updated Wednesday,15March2023-13:17

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According to the United Nations, 690 million people in the world, 8.9% of the population, suffer from hunger. Before 2015, this figure had experienced a steady decline, but from this year it began to slowly increase until reaching the current figure. In its Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 2, Zero Hunger, the need to reverse this situation has been highlighted. To achieve this, however, many things have to change, since, if the trend continues, it is estimated that in 2030 hunger will affect 840 million people.

Food wasted could feed 1.260 billion hungry people each year

Food waste has a lot to do with this point. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), food that is wasted could feed 1.260 billion hungry people each year. In Spain alone, according to data from the Food Waste Report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, more than 2021.1 million tons were wasted in 2. Although this figure was 8.6% lower than the previous year, it means that each Spaniard threw away on average more than 28 kilos of food.

Food waste also has significant environmental, social and economic impacts. For example, between 8% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed. This has a full impact, at the same time, on SDG 12, Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, and, more specifically, with its third heading, which conveys the need to halve food waste worldwide, not only in consumption, but also along production and supply chains.

The contribution of packaging to the resilience of the food system

The packaging industry plays a crucial role in reducing food waste and contributes to this through the research and development of innovative packaging that guarantees its supply. An example of this is the efficient management of milk production in Europe, which has managed to reduce the waste of milk produced below 0.5% percent. But this industry also continues to propose circular and responsible solutions that aim to conserve and restore biodiversity, mitigate the impact of its activity and contribute to curbing climate change and, thus, to the global resilience of the system.

Tetra Pak, a global leader in food packaging and processing solutions, is leading the sustainable transformation of this industry and strongly believes it can be a catalyst for positive change. "We have the ability to create long-term value for society. We contribute to sustainable development and positive impact through our products, innovative services and different initiatives to promote the circular economy with a low carbon footprint," says Ramiro Ortiz, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Iberia. At the same time, the company's decarbonization efforts are focused on avoiding and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions related to its products and the company itself and offsetting residual emissions.

Raw materials: the crucial role of the origin of materials

The origin of the materials used to manufacture packaging is essential to minimize the carbon footprint in food chains. In this sense, all phases of the life cycle of each package must be taken into account, from the responsible production of renewable raw materials to the management of their useful life. That is why it is very important that manufacturers are committed to increasing the use of responsibly sourced renewable components and materials. All this, of course, without losing focus on the food and beverages they contain being safe for the consumer and maintaining their nutritional properties, with a shelf life as long as possible to reduce waste.

An example of this are aseptic cartons, which help to extend the shelf life of food without the need to add preservatives or refrigeration, protecting them from physical damage, heat, light and bacteria. This helps prevent food waste while allowing food distribution to even the most remote geographical areas, ensuring a reliable food supply strategy for a growing population. And, in addition, there are studies on its low carbon footprint compared to other packaging alternatives.

Tetra Pak already develops and uses packaging made from mostly renewable and recyclable materials. 100% of the cardboard it uses comes from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests and other controlled sources and is the only company in this sector included in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) leadership band for six consecutive years.

In 2022, Tetra Pak sold more than 2 billion containers with plant-based polymers in Spain, which implies a reduction of 000,5 tons of CO000 compared to packaging using fossil-based plastic. It joins its development plan for the next decade, whereby it will continue to innovate in packaging materials that continue to improve the environmental performance of its packaging portfolio, in order to reduce the use of fossil-based materials and increase the carton content.

Ecodesign and recyclability

Manufacturers and producers in the food industry work voluntarily and continuously to continue improving eco-design: by lightening the weight of packaging, incorporating recycled material or ensuring its recyclability, for example. In parallel, they have also worked against the clock to comply with the legal requirements established by the SUP (Single Use Plastic) Directive, which aims to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. For it, the plastic straw adhered to the containers has been replaced by paper straws and the caps are now kept attached to the containers to favor joint recycling, among others.

Public-private collaboration will result in benefits for the food system in terms of efficiency and resilience

Ramiro Ortiz.

But to drive a circular economy with a strong and carbon-neutral food system, close public-private collaboration is essential to develop and implement effective collection, sorting and recycling systems that improve recycling rates. "This collaboration will result in benefits for the food system in terms of efficiency and resilience, such as ensuring a safe food supply available to all and reducing food waste, waste and emissions," concludes Ramiro Ortiz.

Tetra Pak, for its part, continues to invest in the development of infrastructure for collection and recycling. In Spain, they have already collected more than 110,600 tons of beverage cartons to be recycled, representing an increase of more than 7% between 2021 and 2022. In addition, in Spain we have two recycling plants that convert paper fiber into recycled craft paper, with which products such as boxes or cardboard cases are manufactured. Innovation in the food system, in short, continues (and will continue) to advance.

Made by UE Studio

This text has been developed by UE Studio, creative branded content and content marketing firm of Unidad Editorial, for TETRA PAK.

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