The British Standards Institution (BSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have launched a new global standard designed to help organisations measure, manage, and reduce food waste across their supply chains. Developed in collaboration with the UK climate action NGO WRAP and an international coalition of experts, the standard provides a unified framework for businesses to systematically address food loss and waste.
With food waste accounting for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, the standard aims to harmonise how companies track their waste footprint. By establishing clear methodologies for measurement, businesses can identify inefficiencies from primary production through to retail and distribution, enabling targeted interventions.
For packaging converters, this development highlights the evolving demands on packaging design. Converters must increasingly balance the dual objectives of reducing packaging material use with the critical need to prevent food spoilage. The standard will likely drive demand for innovative packaging solutions—such as improved barrier properties, active packaging, and optimised portion sizes—that extend shelf life and directly support food waste reduction targets.
For UK waste management companies and Turkish recyclers, the implications are equally significant. Organic contamination remains one of the primary hurdles in plastics recycling, degrading material quality and reducing processing yields. A global, structured effort to minimise food waste at the source should ultimately lead to cleaner dry recycling streams. For recyclers producing high-quality polymers, particularly food-contact rPET or rPP, lower contamination levels mean reduced pre-treatment costs and more consistent output quality.
Furthermore, as carbon reporting and circular economy metrics become more integrated into corporate compliance, aligning with this standard will help UK and Turkish businesses quantify their Scope 3 emissions reductions more accurately.
Practical Takeaway: Packaging converters and waste managers should familiarise themselves with the new standard's measurement frameworks. Converters should use these guidelines to demonstrate how their packaging designs actively prevent food waste, turning compliance into a competitive advantage.
