Wrap targets food packaging in waste-reduction campaign

Five projects are under way which will feed into Wrap’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which aims to help consumers to cut food waste.

In one of the five projects, consultancy Giraffe Innovation is working with retailer The Co-operative and food company Vion UK to improve vacuum-packed meat packaging. The work will explore options such as the use of new materials, and greater flexibility in pack and portion sizes.

Rob Holdway of Giraffe says, ‘This challenging project will socially engineer a change in user behaviour through innovative packaging design.’

In another project, marketing consultancy Adare is working with retailer Somerfield to develop new whole fresh chicken packaging, which will reduce food and packaging waste. The new packaging uses a flexible shrink-wrap format in place of a tray, and eliminates the need for labels by printing directly on to the wrapper.

The remaining projects see East Malling Research working with a number of organisations including retailer Sainsbury’s to reduce fresh produce waste by controlling fungal growth, and Campden BRI working with Asda and DuPoint Tejin Films to improve chill chain management to optimise packaging.

Meanwhile, Premier Foods is researching customer behaviour in a bid to minimise bread waste.

All trials are currently under way and due to complete next year.