Study: Plastic packaging worsens food waste problem

The use of plastic food packaging contributes to the problem of food waste disposal. Today in Europe there are 30 kilograms of plastic packaging and 173 kilograms of food waste per capita per year.

A study conducted by the public organizations Friends of the Earth and Zero Waste Europe showed that from 2004 to 2014 alone, the volume of household food waste in Europe doubled to 30 million tons per year. The amount of plastic waste has increased by 50% to 15 million tons per year.

The study authors note that plastic is the most popular packaging material in Europe, with about 40% of products packaged in it. Retailers increase waste through marketing tactics such as bulk packaging and individual packaging of small portions of goods.

To solve the problem, environmentalists propose to legislatively limit the use of disposable packaging, introduce a reusable packaging system for food delivery, and use packaging only where it is really necessary to preserve products.

According to Greenpeace Russia “Zero Waste” project expert Alexander Ivannikov, Russia has the same problem with garbage. Supermarkets sell tons of by-products that are quickly thrown away. About half of what becomes trash is single-use plastic. The second is food waste. Such garbage in huge quantities is sent daily to overcrowded landfills, where it rots, releasinglandfill gas that is dangerous to human health.

In Russia, Greenpeace suggests that supermarkets change their packaging policy. The first step should be to stop disposable bags. Campaign "Package? - Thank you, no! started at the end of 2017. Instead of plastic bags, customers were advised to use convenient reusable bags.

Environmentalists estimate that 20 times more plastic is produced now than in the 1960s. About a third of plastic comes from packaging. By 2050, production volumes could increase up to four times.