The year is 2805 and the Earth has long been uninhabitable due to human over-consumption. 700 years earlier, man left the Earth, waiting to return one day. Left on Earth is a brave little garbage disposal robot named WALL-E who is tasked with cleaning up the Earth. It is about Disney’s Pixar studio WALL-E (2008), which raises many questions about our responsibility for the climate crisis. We are today at a unique stage in our history and just like for the people on the spaceship Axiom in the movie, there is still hope. As we become more and more people on Earth, who all need to eat, this means that the demand for food increases, in Sweden as well as globally. Despite this, climate scientists say that we can eat the planet whole and for every step in the right direction, we will save lives and protect the ecosystem. Therefore, the future is circular and the goal is that there should be no waste at all. The waste that still occurs must be handled as a resource and reused.

Although the product accounts for approximately 90 percent of the total environmental impact and the packaging for approximately 10 percent, the packaging has an important role in protecting and preserving the product. Otherwise, it results in waste and the later the waste occurs in the value cycle, the greater the environmental impact. No sustainable brand. Approximately half of all packaging that exists is used for food and drink, and with its usually short life cycles, a lot of material is turned over and therefore a flow that affects us, especially plastic. Plastic is a modern hero in many cases, especially in the grocery trade, with good properties that extend the shelf life of goods. A clear example is the plastic around the cucumber, which increases shelf life by around six days. Therefore, we consumers today have access to a large selection from all over the world, at a low cost. But on the other hand, there are major challenges to collecting and recycling plastic.

But there are more and more inspiring examples appearing on store shelves that can serve as important symbolic launches for our transition. One of them is the food company Saveggy®. A plant-based edible coatings extend the shelf life of fresh vegetables and fruits. It is easily applied by using dipping or spraying after harvest. No need for plastic!

So instead of fleeing the earth and letting robots clean up, it’s time for all of us to act and become truly sustainable. Together we can make a difference in switching to more packaging for increased sustainability, every step counts.

Sofia Erixson

Packaging consultant