The leading rigid plastic packaging manufacturer, RPC Group, has joined the SAVE FOOD initiative, a joint campaign organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH to highlight and fight global food loss and waste.
The initiative now has over 100 members from throughout the food supply chain who, through networking events and ongoing dialogue and discussion, aim to develop solutions to tackle the problems of food waste. Each year, worldwide, a third of all food is thrown away or lost, while at the same time around 842 million people are suffering from hunger.
SAVE FOOD was launched at Interpack 2011 and since the beginning of 2013 has also enjoyed the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). To coincide with this year's Interpack in Düsseldorf, a SAVE FOOD Congress will again take place on 7th and 8th May, bringing together experts from industry, the political sphere and civil society.
RPC says the initiative ideally complements and supports the company's own comprehensive sustainability programme.
"According to Incpen, food wastage in developing countries can be as high as 50%; whereas in the UK only 3% goes to waste before it reaches the shops," comments Katherine Fleet, RPC's Group Sustainability Manager.
"This fact demonstrates both the challenges involved in reducing food waste as well as the crucial role that packaging can play in achieving this. And this is equally important in developed countries since, as the WRAP 'Love Food, Hate Waste' campaign reports, of the 7 million tonnes of food and drink thrown away from UK homes every year, more than half could have been eaten.
"At RPC we are committed to developing a range of sustainable packaging solutions that help to keep food fresher for longer and the SAVE FOOD campaign provides the ideal forum to show both manufacturers and consumers how they too can make a difference."
