Zero Packaging Can Do More Harm than Good

Why should we continue to package?

• To protect the integrity of products so they don’t degrade and lose nutritional value quickly.
• To prevent food spoilage.
• To prevent handling of raw products and the transference of bacteria and viruses.
• To ensure safety by not allowing for the transference of germs in the atmosphere and from other     customers.
• To prevent merchandise from getting “shop worn” and less saleable.
• To ensure freshness.
• To prevent possible contamination from containers consumers think are clean and put foodstuffs into to take home.
• To prevent tampering.
• To ensure traceability and transparency: retailers and consumers alike should know which brand of product they are purchasing and where it came from.
• Consumers need the assurance of quality and recourse if a tainted food issue occurs.

Manufacturers and consumers should pause and ask themselves: “Is no packaging for all food products the right way to go?” It’s easy to passionately embrace an idea that centers on a cultural hot button. But it’s important to stand back and look at things rationally. With the cost of consumer products today: is it prudent to waste food or take a chance on more tainted food in lieu of having some packaging waste?

Rather than zero packaging, wouldn’t it make more sense to be prudent and keep working on cutting extraneous packaging; recycling as much packaging as possible; cutting down dramatically on the manufacture and use of virgin materials; designing packaging that can be repurposed or reused; and continuing to find new biodegradable materials from renewable sources.

It seems to me that doing these things will give us the best of both worlds. Highly functional packaging that ensures viable, safe, fresh products. And measurably less packaging material in landfills as time goes on.

 

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