WASHINGTON, DC - Keeping food packaging regulation and environmental sustainability top of mind, a coalition of non-profit industry and non-governmental organizations has formed the Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods (ASPF). These diverse global entities will come together to engage with regulators and governments worldwide to encourage the adoption of a holistic and harmonized approach to food packaging without compromising safety and public health.

“When discussing the future of packaging, food safety, and quality, and reducing food loss and waste are non-negotiable. Members of ASPF are clear: we are committed to significantly reducing packaging waste, just not at the expense of food safety. We will work hard with the regulators and policymakers around the world to do so,” said International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Chief Science Officer and Chair of ASPF, Max Teplitski, Ph.D. “We must take into account the footprint of the entire lifecycle of packaging use while maintaining food safety and addressing phytosanitary concerns. The purpose of ASPF is to find opportunities for partnership across global stakeholders to create a holistic and harmonized approach to packaging regulation, which reflects and accounts for the key outcomes central to a sustainable food supply.”

The alliance prioritizes engagement with the ongoing inter-institutional negotiations in the E.U. on the revision of applicable packaging and packaging waste rules and the P2 and other packaging-related regulatory developments in Canada, a release stated.

Founding members of the global alliance include the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), FMI – The Food Industry Association, IFPA, Organic Trade Association, Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), Western Growers, and many more.

“Sustainable packaging solutions for food, such as reusable packaging, can also lead to superior product protection and temperature management performance, ensuring food quality and safety and reducing waste,” said Todd Hoff, Executive Vice President at RPA, and Vice Chair of the alliance. “The Reusable Packaging Association values our participation in this wide-ranging industry alliance to support the transformation to more circular reuse systems while upholding the highest food standards. We look forward to working with other industry leaders to demonstrate that packaging can be sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performing without compromising.”

The organization will also include working groups to drive priorities and action plans that will focus on government relations strategies. Additionally, it will focus on technical approaches to advocate for packaging regulations that are not only sound regarding compliance but are also technically pragmatic for industry implementation.

To read more about this alliance, click here.

With the work of this organization, what movement will we see in the food packaging sector? AndNowUKnow will keep you in the loop.