Food packaging waste: circular innovations and food safety considerations

Packaging plays an important role in keeping food fresh and safe but generates waste in the form of plastic and other materials. A circular approach to food packaging can reduce packaging waste that is harmful to the environment. There are important food safety considerations for producers and consumers to be aware of, to ensure circular food packaging solutions are safe.This brief provides an overview of the food safety considerations in implementing circular food packaging solutions in the transformation to a circular agrifood system. This technical brief is one of five briefs accompanying the FAO publication, Food safety in a circular economy.