Decision-making processes on sustainable packaging options in the European food sector
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Author
Weinrich, Ramona
Mielinger, Ellen
Krauter, Victoria
Arranz, Elena
Camara Hurtado, Rosa Maria
Poças, Fátima
Ruiz de Maya, Salvador
Herbes, Carsten
Publication date
2023-11-28ISSN
0959-6526
Abstract
Food packaging improves shelf life and allows longer transportation distances in global food supply chains, but it is also responsible for huge volumes of waste. The transition to sustainable packaging by food companies has often been slow and inconsistent. How decisions on (sustainable) packaging are made within companies in the food sector remains mostly opaque to research. To explore the decision-making process and identify barriers for cleaner, more resource efficient food packaging, we carried out 17 interviews in four European countries across different food sectors using the theoretical decision-making process of Nutt (1984) as an analytical framework. Through qualitative content analysis, we found that decision-making processes often lack structure and extend over long stretches of time. Frequently, they are initiated in response to packaging material manufacturers or suppliers. Switching to more sustainable packaging often implies costly investments into new machinery. Economic sustainability takes precedence over ecological sustainability. We recommend companies move to life-cycle cost models for packaging decisions, commit to mono- and other recyclable materials, and establish structured decision-making processes with clear cut-off criteria so as to streamline implementation decisions. Our results further support a call for progressive legislation towards a circular economy in the packaging sector.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
663/664 - Food and nutrition. Enology. Oils. Fat
Pages
12
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Journal of Cleaner Production
Citation
Weinrich, Ramona, Ellen Mielinger, Victoria Krauter, Elena Arranz, Rosa Maria Camara Hurtado, Begonya Marcos, and Fátima Poças et al. 2024. “Decision-making processes on sustainable packaging options in the European food sector”. Journal of Cleaner Production, 434. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139918.
Grant agreement number
EC/COST/CA19124/EU/Rethinking packaking for circular and sustainable food supply chains of the future/CIRCUL-A-BILITY
Program
Qualitat i Tecnologia Alimentària
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/