What Kind of Packaging to Go For at the Supermarket?
- Lenore Lampens
- 26 dec 2015
- 5 minuten om te lezen
We all know how difficult it can be to make choices in this world of abundance. You’re at the supermarket and there are more than 20 kinds of bread, there are vegetables and fruit from all over the world (not very sustainable) and then you can also buy different kinds of milk and juice. To name just a few dazzling choices one has to make at the supermarket. Therefore, some tips that can help you make the trip really worthwhile might be helpful. How to go to the supermarket and make choices that matter? When you go grocery shopping today it matters more then ever to be, not just any kind of buyer, but a conscious client with a clear idea of what you are buying and what not (and the reasons for which you leave some products behind on the shelves of the shop of which you hope that they will become ever more sustainable).
You are standing in your favorite shop looking at all the kinds of packaging offered: glass bottles, cartons, different types of lids and bottle caps, paper bags, plastic bag etc. etc. But then there is also the design of the package, the promotional “repacking” of your package. And maybe you end up not really looking any more at what matters. Because what matters is not whether the color of your package is blue or it has a nice drawing on it, what matters is that you are going for sustainable packaging. It might not always seem possible and maybe you even think that this cannot really guide you and you are already making a choice. But have you really thought about it consciously? I hope that after having read this post, you will go to the supermarket and start looking for certain information on the package (maybe) you had never seen at before. I hope a new layer and a meaningful one will be added to your shopping experience.
Since packaging is the first thing you as a client can see, the producers of the product have not left anything up to chance: you are (unconsciously) heavily influenced by packaging and design. But a conscious response and possible answer to the marketing-sustainability dialogue (or lack thereof) is to be “influenced” by the right kind of information embedded in the design.
It is not only a matter of looking for sustainable packages. Packaging (and labeling) can also guide you toward food that has been produced in a sustainable way. If you can find a product that is both sustainable and is being sold in a sustainable way, then you have of course the perfect match!
Here’s what you can look for on a package or the kind of package to be looking for:
If you find the FSC-label (image 1) it means that the packages were made of FSC-certified
cardboard. FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. The use of this kind of cardboard guarantees responsible forest management so that forests can continue to be a part of our daily landscape: now and in the future. This certificate does not only guarantee responsible forest management but also humanitarian working conditions
Lids and bottle caps that have been made of bio-plastic. Bio-plastic indicates that the plastic package has been made from plant resources that can grow back. Tetra Pak is an example of packaging that uses bio plastic for their lids. The lids are made of sugarcane. You can recognize the lids by looking for the leave imprinted in the plastic
Corrugated Packaging Alliance and the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation. Why paper-based packaging can be sustainable? On the website we read, “The forest products industry plants twice as many trees as are harvested on an annual basis.” 1.7 million new trees are planted every day. What is more, 89.7% percent of all containers that are produced from corrugated packaging are reclaimed for recycling. Not only because many of the containers are readily recyclable (i.e. they have not been coated or treated with substances), but also because a lot of effort is put into the promotion of recycling corrugated material. If you see the symbol of corrugated packaging (
see image 2) on a container it is to promote the recycling of this material in general. When you see it on a specific container it means this container is recyclable (it does not necessarily mean that the container has been made from recyclable material but that it should be, because it can be, recycled). This does not mean, however, that corrugated is not made from any recyclable material. In fact, the idea is that once the corrugated containers have been recycled they are reused to make the next generation of corrugated packages: “the average box consists of 46% recycled fiber”. The reduction of raw materials used is called source reduction and is very green. For more information, read the “Corrugated Packaging Life-cycle Assessment Q&A”.
For corrugated packaging of food specifically take a look at the website where you can find case studies and information about package cleanliness
If you are not yet convinced of the positive value of paper-based packaging then take a look at the Responsible Package Initiative. It is an industry-wide effort to promote paper-based packaging as a sustainable solution since paper is made from a completely renewable source (i.e. tre
es)
If the product your buying is Cradle to Cradle certified (image 3) it means that the following five levels have been checked and quality-proofed: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy & Carbon Management, Water Stewardship and Social Fairness. Each of these quality categories is assigned a medal (basic, bronze, silver, gold or platinum) to determine the overall certification level. If you find the Cradle to Cradle symbol on your product you might not only be helping our environment but social fairness as well. Cradle to Cradle is therefore an important initiative that helps consumers become more conscious of the choices embedded in the production and marketing of goods. To be aware of what is sustainable and what is not is a first step toward a sustainable future.
Compostability label (image 4). Also known as the Seedling-label, this compostability label must, and will be, implemented across the entire EU. In Belgium the label has already been established and accepted.
Some producers disclose the amount of biobased materials in their products (but this is not an obligation). Producers can provide this information on a volunteer basis. The Belgian organization Vinçotte provides certifications and corresponding labels (image 5).
ASC certified (image 6). An international label for sustainable fish. It is a program for responsible farmed seafood.
Biogarantie (tr., organic guarantee) (image 7). This Belgian label can be found on food, clothing and cosmetics. It is a private initiative supporting organic farming.
The EU Biolabel (image 8) is a European label. It is obligatory to use this label for all food that has been produced according to the regulations for organic framing, processing and sale.
EU Ecolabel (image 9). This label is found on ecological products in Europe that meet the high quality requirements. It concerns a wide variety of products: textiles, electronic devices, detergents etc.
Flandria (image 10) is a Belgian label for vegetables and fruit. These goods have been produced according to the rules of integrated farming.
Max Havelaar Fairtrade (image 11). A label for fair trade with the south. Producers receive fair remuneration for sustainable production. It is both a green and humanitarian initiative.
Mobius (image 12). The Möbiusloop indicated that the paper used for packaging is recyclable or that it has been made from recyclable material.
OK biobased (image 13) is a label for products that have been made (partially) from renewable resources. There exist 4 variants of this label: a label with one, two, three or four stars. These indicate the amount of renewable resources used.
OK biodegradable soil (image 14). These products are almost entirely biodegradable in soil (90%).
OK biodegradable water (image 15). These products are almost entirely biodegradable in water (90%).
OK Home Compost (image 16). The product can be composted at home.
OK Compost (image 17). The product can be composted in an industrial installation.
Streekproduct (tr., regional product) (image 18). This is a Flemish label for food products. The product has been traditionally made, according to the traditional recipe, in its traditional/own region
.
To sum up, sustainable packaging offers three major advantages:
They are made from renewable sources and where possible from residues.
The production of organic packaging requires less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Sustainable packages can be recycled creating a natural cycle (cradle to cradle).
Also be sure to take a look at the following website: labelinfo.be. It provides elaborate information on all kinds of labels from all over the world.
Source (info and images):
Featured image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcobellucci/3382099741
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