Food

ENV C

ECO-DESIGN OF SINGLE-USE FOOD PACKAGING

THE ANNUAL PACKAGING DECLARATION AND THE REPORT ON PACKAGING placed on the market annually submitted by GASTRONOMIA BASKA confirmed that the company is close to the limit (21 t) at which it would be obliged to submit a reduction study. Market research shows a growing concern shared by society as a whole, about the use of plastic materials, which is also continuously reflected in European and national legislation and opinion articles. As a result, the use of polypropylene (PP) packaging for food dishing up has been identified as a risk by the company’s Environmental Issue Assessment.

GASTRONOMÍA BASKA, promoter of ENV C, focuses its main activity on the preparation and service of prepared meals for different collectives. Other participants in ENV C include GUTIERREZ ANGULO, a packaging and food supplier and LABORATORIO GESSYMA GALEA, for tasting and shelf-life testing.

GASTRONOMÍA BASKA
OBJECTIVES
  • Develop more sustainable packaging which facilitates waste management by users.
  • Maintain the necessary performance to continue to meet service and quality standards, with a minimum service life of 12 days.
  • Reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging by approximately 15% per year.
RESULTS
  • The carton/paper packaging developed meets the requirements for sealing, airtightness, gas barrier, openness and microbiological analysis.
  • 15% reduction of single-use plastic packaging placed on the market by replacing it with a manageable packaging in the cardboard/paper container. 
  • The use of compostable packaging as a solution is discouraged, due to the lack of containers for organic waste management at the delivery points of food distributed (workplaces, schools, etc.).
CONCLUSIONS
  • Projections point to an annual growth rate between 5% and 6% for the ready meals market. Consumers’ appetite for ready meal solutions is growing, while the catering industry is increasing supply of ready meals, combined with the emergence of new products and formats.
  • Extending the shelf life of food prepared in sustainable packaging is essential to reduce food waste, water and electricity consumption in different food handling operations and to reduce emissions at the distribution stage. Research into new materials is fundamental to furthering knowledge in this field.

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