Isra-Mart srl:US food and beverage firms to cut 2.5 billion pounds of packaging

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Isra-Mart srl news:

US food and beverage manufacturers are planning to cut up to 2.5 billion pounds of packaging between now and 2020, according to a report published by the Grocery Manufacturers' Association (GMA).

Nationwide, US grocery companies have already eliminated 1.5 billion pounds of packaging since 2005, according to the GMA report, entitled Reducing Our Footprint: The Food, Beverage and Consumer Product Industry's Progress in Sustainable Packaging.

Just over half the cuts came from reducing plastics, while another 500 million pounds were saved by eliminating paper packaging.

The report argued that food and beverage manufacturers were benefitting from reduced packaging levels as they were able to ship more product per truckload, leading to reduced transport costs.

Although overall, packaging improvements have been growing year on year, some companies appear to have benefitted more than others. For example, one firm eliminated 2,000 trucks from its fleet, while another reduced water usage by a quarter and fossil fuel usage by 56 per cent through improved packaging design.

The report was produced using two surveys: McKinsey surveyed 19 companies, while Georgetown Economic Services polled 21. Fourteen of the firms were interviewed by both companies, representing an overlap in their surveys.

The report revealed that in addition to reducing the amount of packaging used through innovations such as thinner plastic bottles, a number of manufacturers are also investing in more sustainable and recyclable packaging materials.

Other innovations included a switch to 100 per cent recycled material to replace glass bottles, and the replacement of shipping cartons with recycled materials.