Untangling the underlying drivers of the use of single-use food packaging

Abstract

Global production and use of food packaging have steadily increased since the 1960s. Packaging waste is now considered one of the world's most urgent environmental problems. Most responses to the problem have focused on recycling or the introduction of biomass-based materials. Whilst useful, these approaches focus on managing the symptoms and do not address why the food system has become reliant on single-use packaging. In this paper we use systems method to understand the drivers for the food packaging problem. We apply the first two steps of the systems method to develop a Causal Loop Diagram representing variables and feedback loops that influence the use of food packaging. The modelling process has been supported by a narrative literature review and by the analysis of the behaviour over time. The results show that there are three main interlinked subsystems that drive food packaging use: the globalisation, the expansion of supermarkets and the constraints on households' time. In order to reduce food packaging, structural changes are required. Shifting away from a growth-driven food economy towards a degrowth economic model may reduce the need for food packaging. Redesigning and decentralising food systems are just some of the potential solutions.