Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods emerges prioritising packaging regulation and sustainability

A number of industry organisations from around the world have formed a new alliance aimed at reshaping food packaging regulations for environmental sustainability.

The non-profit Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods (ASPF) brings together non-profit and non-governmental groups to engage with regulators and governments, according to a news release.

The ASPF will prioritise engagement with ongoing negotiations in the EU on the revision of applicable packaging and packaging waste rules as well as packaging-related regulatory developments in Canada.

The ASPF’s creation is driven by pending packaging regulations in the EU whose requirements could impact food safety, quality, food loss/waste and the carbon footprint of foods. In Canada, fast moving regulations threaten the fresh categories by banning all plastics.

The Alliance will educate regulators and inform non-governmental organisations on the role of packaging for food consumption, food safety and product quality, specifically in the EU, Canada and USA.

It will also identify needs and facilitate research to ensure packaging regulations for food achieve environmental sustainability without compromising food safety and product quality.

“When discussing the future of packaging, food safety and quality, and reducing food loss and waste are non-negotiable,” IFPA chief science officer Max Teplitski, chair of ASPF, said in a release. “Members of ASPF are clear: We are committed to significantly reducing packaging waste, just not at the expense of food safety. We will work hard with the regulators and policymakers around the world to do so. We must take into account the footprint of the entire lifecycle of packaging use while maintaining food safety and addressing phytosanitary concerns.”

The purpose of ASPF is to find opportunities for partnership across global stakeholders to create a harmonised approach to packaging regulation.

The ASPF founding members include: Canadian Produce Marketing Association, FMI – The Food Industry Association, Fruit South Africa, Frutas de Chile, International Fresh Produce Association, and the Organic Trade Association.

Sustainable packaging solutions for food, such as reusable packaging, can also lead to superior product protection and temperature management performance, ensuring food quality and safety and reducing waste,” Todd Hoff, executive vice president at Reusable Packaging Association and vice chair of the alliance, said in the release. “We look forward to working with other industry leaders to demonstrate that packaging can be sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performing without compromising.”

The ASPF position paper can be found here: https://www.allianceforsustainablepackaging.com/en/position-paper/

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