Taking a whole-of-system approach to food packaging reduction

Abstract

Food packaging use is a wicked problem that is increasingly impacting on the environment. Current efforts to solve this global challenge are fragmented, fixating on single issues rather than on a ‘whole-of-system’ approach. To address this, we have used a novel approach combining systems thinking and network analysis to map out food packaging use in food systems. This process draws from experts across the Australian food system. We report three main results. First, the resulting Causal Loop Diagram sheds light on the experts' mental models about food packaging use. Second, current interventions fail because they tackle the symptoms of the problem and not the drivers. Third, the ten most influential food packaging drivers are presented and belong to the globalisation and household subsystems. The findings highlight that dependence on packaging is a symptom of the growth-driven globalised food market and time-deprived society. Finally, we demonstrate that shifting the current food systems towards economic degrowth principles could potentially curb the use of food packaging. Under a degrowth framework the need for packaged food could be reduced by eliminating the tension between cooking and working time constraints. Designing for a not-for-profit food economy and re-localising it would also reduce the need for packaging.