Tetra Pak has led a group of food and drink industry experts calling on the UK government to develop a framework for environmental labelling on food packaging, which it says would help consumers make more informed choices.
In a new report, Tetra Pak has appealed to the government to “broaden and improve consumer engagement and understanding of the role played by the food system in driving the UK’s sustainability and net zero goals”.
According to research conducted by Tetra Pak, half of consumers take into account a brand’s decarbonisation efforts or sustainability credentials when making a purchase.
The expert group consulted for the report, which included Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy & Climate Change, Danone, Oatly and WWF UK, highlighted the “value of existing nutritional labelling” on food which informs consumer choices.
Using this as a model, the group argues consumers have a right to the same level of information regarding the environmental impact of their food.
The government should take action and support consumers to play their part.
The report states that “to drive meaningful long-term change, consumers must be able to compare labels across products”, meaning environmental labelling on food packaging should be standardised to “reduce consumer confusion and maximise engagement”.
Once developed, the group calls for any such labelling to be made mandatory.
The report also examines how to drive a UK circular economy, how food waste and loss can be reduced and how better education can be delivered in schools on the impact of the food system on climate change.
Alex Henriksen, Managing Director, North Europe and UK at Tetra Pak, commented: “We must not underestimate the role we all have to play in the global food system, and how it must be decarbonised in order to meet global net zero goals. The government should take action and support consumers to play their part.
“Tetra Pak will continue to drive the conversation that this report stimulates, which provides the government with clear next steps for actions to decarbonise the UK’s food system. We hope they will review the report, and its recommendations, to continue to drive action in this area.”
