The Contribution of Sustainable Packaging to the Circular Food Supply Chain

Abstract

As food supply chains pursue sustainability, numerous questions arise from their agents, focusing on the role of reverse logistics in sustainable packaging design and its effective contribution to waste reduction and the conservation of natural resources. With the goal of developing a new multi-criteria decision-making framework, this article examines how several multi-criteria decision-making approaches can be used to facilitate the selection of sustainable product-package designs. Using a case study, the multi-criteria decision-making method analyses package design, helping decision-makers to determine and minimize the percentage of food losses at each step of the supply chain. Furthermore, the design of both the product and its packaging must encompass the entire life cycle, including materials sourcing, production, transportation, use and disposal. Achieving sustainability requires a collaborative effort among all supply chain agents, from producers to consumers. Consequently, this study aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of attaining sustainable product and packaging design in the food supply chain, emphasizing the need for a long-term, collaborative approach to sustainability. This study concludes that sustainable packaging is highly relevant in the circular food supply chain due to its direct contributions to reducing food waste, conserving resources, mitigating carbon emissions, and meeting consumer preferences for eco-friendly products. Given the consideration of relevant criteria, the multicriteria method appears to be suitable for analysing food supply chains, thanks to its systematic approach in managing the application of sustainable packaging throughout the entire process, including the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food products.