FPE takes up United Nations’ SAVE FOOD challenge

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) has taken up full membership of the SAVE FOOD initiative instituted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and Messe Düsseldorf which was launched officially in 2011 during the world’s largest packaging fair, interpack.

SAVE FOOD is a joint campaign to provide a platform for activities and the promotion of initiatives to reduce food waste. Invitations to take part were sent out to key organisations in the food and packaging sectors. FPE is prominent in representing the flexible packaging industry at European level and has already undertaken work in the field of sustainable solutions for food packaging.

As one of the major themes of the programme is the development and adoption of effective packaging solutions this aligns completely with the work of FPE’s members in creating packaging formats for the protection, distribution and preservation of all kinds of food products, whilst also looking at the amounts of packaging used for each product and the optimum materials.

“Joining the SAVE FOOD initiative is a logical consequence of our substantial work in food preservation and sustainability. With the ability to meet almost all demands for packaging in regards to portion sizes, barrier and form flexible packaging provides an optimized product to packaging ratio,” commented Dr Gerard Rebitzer, Sustainability Leader at Amcor Flexibles and Chairman of FPE’s Sustainability Committee.

“The initiative is consistent with our approach to consider the full life cycle, also considering the packaged product, when appraising the added value of packaging and that packaging is an important part of the solution to increase overall resource efficiency,” continued Dr Rebitzer. “We feel certain that FPE can play a central role in helping SAVE FOOD make a real difference, particularly through the supply chain, for a great variety of food products.”

FPE was present at the first brainstorming session with FAO and to support Messe Dusseldorf to formally establish SAVE FOOD. The success of the initiative to date is a clear indication of the importance now being placed on the need to reduce food waste in all markets and all parts of the world.