MPMA is committed to metal packaging

MPMA bets on metal packaging to reduce food waste

At the National Food Conference in London, Robert Fell spoke as director and CEO of the MPMA about how metal packaging can be the right resource to decrease excess food waste.

London recently hosted the National Food Conference where MPMA spoke about the future in canned goods packaging as well as reducing food waste.

Fell, during the presentation ‘Carbon benefits of preventing food waste within the supply chain’, noted that according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, one-third (1.3 million tons) of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally each year.

Due to the accelerated growth of the world’s population, the MPMA has stated that urgent action must be taken to eliminate food waste. This can easily be achieved through the use of metal containers and increased recycling. At the same time, an educational campaign is required among those involved in the waste management process and the final customers. Fell also added that an educational campaign among all waste management stakeholders and consumers is a major challenge.

“There is a huge opportunity for canned foods to make a significant environmental difference in terms of reducing food waste and reducing carbon losses associated with food production, as well as reducing emissions related to food spoilage,” Fell noted.

The MPMA indicates that the packaging process secures the food and allows it to be preserved for months or years without losing freshness. They also point out that canned foods are healthier, more affordable and have a longer shelf life than other packaging formats, and do not require refrigeration for transportation or storage. The MPMA also highlighted the recyclable characteristics of canned packaging, noting that metal packaging is infinitely recyclable and has the highest recycling rate in Europe among all packaging formats.