PACKAGING INNOVATION TO FIGHT FOOD WASTE: ILIP JOINS THE SAVE FOOD INITIATIVE
The leading company in the food packaging sector has joined the initiative launched by Messe Dϋsseldorf and FAO, which is aimed at optimizing the supply chain and reducing food waste from the producer to the consumer
BOLOGNA (April 10th 2012) – in order to fight food waste, ILIP, the industry-leading company from Bazzano (BO) operating in the field of thermoformed plastic packaging for fresh produce and foodstuffs, has joined the Save Food initiative launched by Messe Dϋsseldorf in collaboration with FAO, the UN organization dedicated to foodstuffs and agriculture.
According to the data from the Save Food initiative, about one third of the food that’s produced each year is lost along the supply chain, a volume of waste that could be contained by implementing infrastructure adjustments and major packaging innovations. With regard to the packaging elements, in fact, the challenge is to come up with materials and packaging solutions that will ensure the safe transport of even the most delicate products, as well as the optimization of the logistics, and the best possible preservation and protection of the contents.
The enhancement of these aspects has become one of the main objectives of ILIP’s social responsibility policy for the next few years. ILIP is the main division of ILPA Group, a company which has redefined its strategic positioning throughout its 50 years of activity by developing a new outlook in terms of environmental sustainability. Not only by offering recycled and/or compostable materials – a field in which ILIP is recognized as a pioneer thanks to the creation of product ranges made from recycled PET and bioplastics – but also due to its commitment to improving the efficiency of the supply chain with its own products.
“We believe that packaging innovation has a significant ethical value, as well as an immediate effect upon waste reduction,” explains Roberto Zanichelli, marketing manager of ILIP. “In fact, we’ve decided to join the Save Food project because it represents a concrete way to highlight our commitment to creating products that will render food preservation increasingly efficient along the supply chain.”
The “Save Food” project was introduced last May, and is dedicated to bringing together the stakeholders in the European food supply chain (including industry, packaging, logistics and distribution) on a regular basis, in order to propose concrete solutions to the waste and loss that occurs from the producer to the final consumer.