Neccessary Evil Packagings

When I think of food wastage, another problem immediately comes to mind. And that is the food packaging. Research by Hawkins (2013) has shown that food packaging is a significant source of  solid waste. In my opinion, it is almost impossible to talk about food and waste without confronting the problem of packaging. Especially in this age where people are becoming increasingly concerned with hygiene and visual appearance of their food. I mean, think about eating an a pear. One would have to tear open the plastic bag or cardboard box that the pear comes in and remove the styrofoam net protecting the fruit before consumption of the food. So much waste is generated from packagings.




Not to mention Singaporean's favourite thing to do - takeaway food or "da pao" it. Often, takeaway containers are made of stryofoam or plastic which do not degrade easily and pollute the environment. Even when plastics degrade, there is the problem of microplastics in the soil leaking into the marine environments and disrupting the entire ecosystem. (Cole et al. 2013)

While packagings are unarguably used to extend the biological life of food, to manage scarcity or to facilitate exchange, until the early nineteenth century they were not used on a commercial scale. Throughout the nineteenth century, developments in canning and bottling developed rapidly in the major industrial nations of Europe, especially in response to the demands of population growth, urbanization and the expansion of navies and sea travel. In modern days, as urbanization and industrialization are becoming more prevalent, food production and distribution grew more complex. More people moving to cities needed more food which meant more transportation of food from rural regions that grew the food.


Hawkins (2013) also mentioned that packaging is generally hailed as one of the key developments affording protection against harmful bacteria, light, oxygen and contamination. Ironically(or not) it is also celebrated as an innovation that has significantl yreduced food waste by extending the biological life of food and delivering the edible components without all the excess elements.  Unfortunately,  the afterlife of the actual package has often been overlooked. This blindness to the waste impacts of packaging has been looked into more in the recent years with the rise of research into sustainable design, biomaterials and degradation cycle management..

On the hand, I feel that packaging has somewhat been abused as people become more affulent. Take hampers for example. 

Image from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23rESI2Wcs8Tt-SIc1O-kx67uHLn_crSGuoXiRkBVSgVx42YMyDsgTqL9TZvv9sh4DNGIyv7yjX-rBWONisL6jUtkfo8QU2EL_ijFcPwtcb9IUTLb7eN8CM0cUvYOVTNVOGfxD42uSEg/s1600/IMG_2471.JPG

I mean just look at the amount of plastics and printed cardboard used to decorate this thing. Not to mention cardboard backings and scotch tape to stack the food products up. Some may argue that this sort of exagerated gifts are unneccesary. However in the corporate world, such well packaged gifts are customary and even essential. For it not only shows manners but is a sign and display of appreciation. I mean, a sparsely wrapped bundle of expensive food items, without any decoration would hardly be considered appropriate in formal gift exchanges. Moreoever, it is often the intricate packaging that makes a quality product, a quality product.

Take Japan for example, they have the culture that values the aesthetic appeal of gifts. Take a look at the video on how Japanese gifts are usually wrapped!

I guess packaging can be considered a neccesary evil. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't put in effort to minimise the impacts of packaging waste on the environment! Do your part! In the easiest ways, avoid takeouts as much as possible or use a reusable plastic container. Minimise the use of plastic bags as well, or recycle them if you must! :)




References:

Hawkins, G. (2013). The performativity of food packaging: Market devices, waste crisis and recycling. The Sociological Review Sociol Rev,60(Supplement S2), 66-83. doi:10.1111/1467-954X.12038

Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Fileman, E., Halsband, C., Goodhead, R., Moger, J., & Galloway, T. (2013). Microplastic Ingestion by Zooplankton.Environmental Science & Technology Environ. Sci. Technol., 47(12), 6646–6655-6646–6655. doi:10.1021/es400663f.