as the global population is increasing day by day, and the expansion of the agricultural industry facing the issues by competing land uses and climate change, australia require to reduce the food waste and packaging is the key. in developed countries, about 40 percent of all food meant for consumption for human ends up as waste. each year, in australia, 4.2 million tons of food ends up to landfill 1.5 million from the industrial and commercial sector whereas 2.7 million tons from households. by 2050, the global food demand is expected to jump 77 percent in comparison to 2007, beverage and food manufacturers have to reassess not just how they are going about making their products, but also what they are doing to make sure they endure the supply chain as well as consumed, not wasted. recently, rmit university published a report, made to order by chep australia, named the role of packaging in minimizing food waste in the supply chain of the future. this report examined where why and where food waste takes place throughout the food supply chain. first time made in australia, the research emphasizes on a review of international literature along with the interviews with representatives from 15 different organizations within australia&rsquos packaging and food industries, concentrating on food waste that takes place prior to consumption. australia&rsquos industry of food manufacturing is the nondomestic second biggest supplier to food waste, each year depositing around 312,000 tones to landfill, next to the food services sector, which annually creates 661,000 tons of food waste. however, this figure doesn&rsquot mean that our beverage and food manufacturers are negligent or wasteful &ndash major quantity of the food waste that take place in the industry is inevitable, and about 90 percent is recovered and used as compost, energy, or animal feed. helen lewis, who is environmental consultant and adjunct professor at rmit university, mentioned food magazine that the rate of recovery in the sector of food manufacturing is already extremely high, so the concentration has to be on minimizing the amount of waste that is created in the first place. she further says that most of the manufacturers can do a lot to diminish the quantity of waste they drives in distribution process as well as at a retail level by paying close attention at why and where this takes place. for instance, if producers don&rsquot carefully state their distribution packaging, it may not succeed during handling or transport and outcome in products being thrown away due to the damage. there is certainly an opportunity to enhance the level of expertise for packaging within organizations to make sure that the packaging is correctly specified. in the study&rsquos findings, chep australia has a vital interest, not just due to it has commissioned the report but also as it describes its container, crate and pallet pooling services as an intrinsically sustainable business model, as well. this model of business is helpful for minimising resources and preventing oneway packaging. phillip austin, who is the president of chep new zealand and australia, mentioned the organization&rsquos reusable plastic generates are a good instance of both secondary and primary tertiary packaging that can expand the shelf life. reusable plastic of chep crates abolish the need to repack products as it goes through the supply chain that minimizes the occasion for damage during handling. the power of the crate and better cooling and ventilation rates also help to defend the produce, he mentioned to food magazine. as compared to oneway cartons, reusable packaging is more robust and less susceptible to poking by pointed objects or devastating as it moves throughout the supply chain. austin mentioned that an autonomous life cycle assessment of chep&rsquos reusable crates made by plastic indicates that, every year, they save 64,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, 460 million litres of water, as well as 8,000 tonnes of solid waste from the supply chain. as a part of the study by rmit university, a grower from australia interviewed whom requested to remain anonymous, agrees that plastic crates that are reusable can extends produce&rsquos saleability and enhance efficiencies. plastic crates also facilitate better protection and better ventilation. these create also hold up improved transport utilization as the pallets can be piled higher. they don&rsquot need as much widen wrap. there is minimal handling, even though the crates aren&rsquot utilizes as much for retail display as compared to they were originally. furthermore, unlike cardboard, plastic crates facilitate wetting the product that helps to enhance the shelf life, the grower explained. source of information httpwww.foodmag.com.aufeatureswastenotwantnothowpackagingcanhelptacklef