Frozen food sector pledges to cut packaging

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have helped set up working groups – which include suppliers, packers and retailers – to look at packaging best practice.

This will include improving or redesigning current packaging, and the sector is identifying “hero” products – starting with pizzas and ready meals – which will be the focus of packaging innovation.

WRAP's retail initiative manager Charlotte Henderson said one way to reduce packaging but still deliver improvements to the customers was to replace traditional pizza boxes with flow-wrap – a plastic laminated film wrap.

Ms Henderson added: “Like all other parts of the food industry, frozen producers are getting to grips with meeting changing retailer and customer packaging requirements.

“Change isn't necessarily about altering your packaging material, it's just as important to ask how your current packaging can be improved or redesigned to make savings. It is also about looking at primary and secondary packaging together as an optimised system.”

She added that sharing knowledge had worked well in other sectors of the food industry particularly through the Courtauld Commitment, an initiative to cut packaging waste, involving WRAP and 24 retail organisations, manufacturers and suppliers. Those signed up include Marks & Spencer, Asda, Dairy Crest and Coca Cola (see letsrecycle.com story).

Grimbsy frozen fish company, Youngs, has set itself a target of reducing its packaging levels by a quarter by 2010. It has begun using a new format to wrap its smoked salmon fillets, which has reduced packaging weight by 13% and size by 26%.

Packaging development manager Vanessa Borrill said: “This has allowed an increase in pallet fill and freezer efficiency in-store. It is a project that has benefited Youngs, retailers, consumers and the environment.”

Food waste

The frozen food industry is expected to look at reducing packaging waste and then move on to food waste.

BFFF director general Brian Young said: “Packaging is only the start. The industry has a major role to play in helping reduce food waste because freezing preserves and protects food for a long time, ensuring that more of it gets eaten and not thrown away.”

The packaging strategy was outlined at the Optimising Packaging in the Frozen Food Sector workshop organised by WRAP and the BFFF in Grantham, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.