Packaging & Waste

What we don't eat ends up in the bin.

Filter by subtopic:
Food Banks | Are They Beneficial to Society?
Article Human Stories

Food Banks | Are They Beneficial to Society?

Madhura Rao, Dr Alie de Boer

In most European countries, the government protects the economic and social wellbeing of its…

Can a Policy Stop Companies From Greenwashing?
Article Earth First

Can a Policy Stop Companies From Greenwashing?

Inés Oort Alonso

In 2022 the EU planned to tackle empty ‘green claims’ with new legislation. Here’s how it aims…

The Environmental Impact of Disposable Chopsticks
Article Earth First

The Environmental Impact of Disposable Chopsticks

Samanta Oon

Single-use utensils like disposable chopsticks are convenient, but they come at a cost to the…

Should We Bring Back The Buffet?
Article Earth First

Should We Bring Back The Buffet?

Dr Caroline Wood

Lavish, all-you-can-eat spreads are often a key feature of parties, weddings, hotel stays and…

How Do Food Businesses Manage Food Waste?
Article Earth First

How Do Food Businesses Manage Food Waste?

Madhura Rao

Food can end up as waste before it reaches us for several reasons, whether it’s safety…

5 Tips to Reduce Household Food Waste
Article Earth First

5 Tips to Reduce Household Food Waste

Madhura Rao

A third of the food grown on this planet ends up being lost or thrown away. A big chunk of this…

First Expired, First Out | Fight Food Waste Like a Pro
Article Earth First

First Expired, First Out | Fight Food Waste Like a Pro

Madhura Rao

Have you ever stood in front of a well-stocked kitchen cupboard wondering what you should cook for…

Plastic-Free Food Packaging: Where Do We Stand?
Article Earth First

Plastic-Free Food Packaging: Where Do We Stand?

Madhura Rao

As an avid advocate for keeping groceries as plastic-free as possible, I have always wondered about…

Reusing Olive Waste | Ask the Expert
Article Earth First

Reusing Olive Waste | Ask the Expert

Annabel Slater

Over 3 million tonnes of olive oil is produced each year. This generates a massive amount of…

How To Reduce Bread Waste
Article Earth First

How To Reduce Bread Waste

Marie Lödige

For many people, bread - in whatever form - is a staple in their diet. Bread comes in all shapes and…

Sustainable Protein Powders | Whey vs Plant-Based Protein Supplements
Article Earth First

Sustainable Protein Powders | Whey vs Plant-Based Protein Supplements

Aran Shaunak

Whether for health reasons or to improve athletic performance, many people turn to protein…

How do sound and music affect the way we eat?
Article Earth First

How do sound and music affect the way we eat?

Dr Caroline Wood

Sounds play a key role in our eating experiences – from the sizzle of bacon frying to the…

Plastic Wrap Alternatives for Sustainable Food Storage
Article Earth First

Plastic Wrap Alternatives for Sustainable Food Storage

Kelly Oakes

Keeping leftovers fresh is one way to tackle food waste. While plastic wrap and other single-use…

6 Reasons Why We Should Care About What We Eat
Article Earth First

6 Reasons Why We Should Care About What We Eat

Merel Van der Meer

Nowadays, it seems guaranteed that our supermarket shelves will always be filled with food and…

How Does Colour Affect The Way We Eat?
Article Earth First

How Does Colour Affect The Way We Eat?

Dr Caroline Wood

It's often said that "we eat with our eyes" and science shows this is true - colour plays an…

Fairtrade Certification | How Does Fairtrade Work?
Article Human Stories

Fairtrade Certification | How Does Fairtrade Work?

Jane Alice Liu

In low-income regions, small-scale agriculture is the biggest source of income, job security and…

Eco-friendly Christmas Foods: 3 Sustainable Alternatives
Article Earth First

Eco-friendly Christmas Foods: 3 Sustainable Alternatives

Kelly Oakes

Whether sitting down for a celebratory meal or looking for a gift to give to family and friends,…

Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Real or Fake Olive Oil?
Article Earth First

Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Real or Fake Olive Oil?

Dr Michelle Spence

Extra virgin olive oil is hailed for its health benefits and superior taste, but it’s also a…

Food Fraud | When Does Food Become Criminal?
Article Earth First

Food Fraud | When Does Food Become Criminal?

Luke Cridland

The modern consumer wants to know about the food they're buying - is it organic, is it vegan, is it…

Calculating Food Expiry Dates
Article Earth First

Calculating Food Expiry Dates

Keeren Flora

Food expiration dates help us to plan meals and reduce food waste. Discover the science behind those…

What Does ‘Organic’ Really Mean?
Article Earth First

What Does ‘Organic’ Really Mean?

Dr Blain Murphy

Organic food is a complicated industry, and for organic produce to be certified, farms must undergo…

Can Pigs Help Reduce Food Waste?
Article Earth First

Can Pigs Help Reduce Food Waste?

Madhura Rao

Pigs are nature's ultimate recycling heroes. What is considered inedible by most other animals is…

What is “Natural Food”?
Article Earth First

What is “Natural Food”?

Lottie Bingham

Rising demand for "natural" foods has seen the term used as a marketing tool in advertisements and…

Farmed Fish | The ASC Certification Label | Buying Sustainable Aquaculture
Article Human Stories

Farmed Fish | The ASC Certification Label | Buying Sustainable Aquaculture

Jessica Tengvall

Have you ever spotted a light green ASC label on various seafood products? The ASC label manages…

The Problem with Sustainability Labelling | Opinion
Article Earth First

The Problem with Sustainability Labelling | Opinion

Dr Tony Benson

How can we choose the most sustainable food and drinks on the market?

Blockchain In Agriculture | Digitalising The Food System
Article Earth First

Blockchain In Agriculture | Digitalising The Food System

Luke Cridland

Was this food ethically sourced? Was it made using sustainable practices? How did it get here? These…

Recycling Food Waste: 6 Unusual Food Waste Inventions
Article Earth First

Recycling Food Waste: 6 Unusual Food Waste Inventions

Annabel Slater

Food waste can contain valuable products. Across the globe, innovative scientists and designers are…

4 Ways To Prevent Food Waste
Article Earth First

4 Ways To Prevent Food Waste

Annabel Slater

42% of food wastage in Europe occurs in households, with homes in the UK, Germany, and the…

COVID-19 | Impacts On Food Waste
Article Earth First

COVID-19 | Impacts On Food Waste

Madhura Rao, Dr Alie de Boer

Food supply chains are complex systems with carefully orchestrated operations spread across the…

Nanotechnology | How It’s Used In Food And Packaging
Article Earth First

Nanotechnology | How It’s Used In Food And Packaging

Kelly Oakes

If we can mitigate the potential health risks, nanotechnology offers plenty of benefits regarding…

Used Coffee Grounds | What To Do With Them
Article Earth First

Used Coffee Grounds | What To Do With Them

Annabel Slater

We drink over 2 billion cups of coffee a day. Used coffee grounds are usually incinerated or sent to…

Zero-Waste Restaurant | Lessons from FREA
Article Earth First

Zero-Waste Restaurant | Lessons from FREA

David Urry, David J. Suchy

The amount of food waste produced by restaurants can be staggering – with piles of unused food…

Avocado Life Cycle & Food Waste
Article Earth First

Avocado Life Cycle & Food Waste

Silvia Lazzaris

Besides rodents and insect pests, fungi and plant diseases, human mishandling is one of the leading…

Beauty Products Made From Food Waste
Article Earth First

Beauty Products Made From Food Waste

David Urry, Anna Brightman

A lot of food waste, like coffee grounds, fruit stones and eggshells, is inedible. Find out how we…

The Cost of Food Waste
Article Earth First

The Cost of Food Waste

David Urry

Changing everyday choices around food is central to tackling food waste, especially in wealthier…

Plastic Alternatives: Start-Up Challenges
Article Earth First

Plastic Alternatives: Start-Up Challenges

Claudia Parms

The European Parliament officially announced this year that non-essential single-use plastics will…

Vitamin Labels | What Do They Mean?
Article Earth First

Vitamin Labels | What Do They Mean?

Dr Chris Ryder

Ever heard of alpha-linolenic acid? How about pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)? Glad you're not having…

Health Claims | The Asterisk: Friend or Foe?
Article Earth First

Health Claims | The Asterisk: Friend or Foe?

Dr Chris Ryder

The humble asterisk (*) has many uses, one of which is to redirect readers to another part of a text…

Health Claims | FAQs
Article Earth First

Health Claims | FAQs

Dr Stacey Lockyer

What are health claims and how are they regulated in Europe? Read on to find answers to your FAQs.

Shelf Life & Food Waste | The Science & Tech Behind Shelf Life
Article Earth First

Shelf Life & Food Waste | The Science & Tech Behind Shelf Life

Kelly Oakes

Whether we’re in a supermarket or digging through the contents of our own fridge to make…

Insect Farming | How Insects Help Reduce Food Waste
Article Earth First

Insect Farming | How Insects Help Reduce Food Waste

Jane Alice Liu, Miha Pipan

When you think about bugs, you might think of the alarming drop in insect populations that we are…

Keep updated with the latest news about your food with our newsletter

Follow Us