Package design

Macroeconomics

Product (mathematics)

Process (computing)

Engineering

Ecology

Biology

Sustainability

Systems engineering

Operating system

Economics

Computer science

Packaging and labeling

Food science

Risk analysis (engineering)

Manufacturing engineering

Business

Food packaging

Biochemical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Design for the Environment

Process management

Ecodesign

Task (project management)

Mathematics

Life-cycle assessment

Process engineering

Sustainable products

Environmental impact assessment

Geometry

Product design

Chemistry

Sustainable design

Packaging engineering

Production (economics)

Packaging Technology and Science

The environmental impacts of packages have been found to be relatively small compared with the food items they contain. Furthermore, from the environmental and operational point of view, the most significant task of the package is to protect the product, which is important to acknowledge in the packaging design process. This study introduces a guiding framework for designing sustainable food packaging. In this approach, the entire life cycle of the product–package combination is taken into consideration. The emphasis is on the prevention of food losses in packaging design as a major environmental criterion. Consideration of the properties of both the package and the product itself when designing the final package will lead to a better end result with smaller product losses and environmental impacts. By using different assessment methods in the different stages of the packaging design, the sustainability of the package can be enhanced. The decision making of the packaging designer is facilitated with methods that are introduced step by step and in a certain order that will also allow for corrective measures through back‐loops in the design process. The purpose is to integrate sustainability aspects at all stages firmly into the design process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Framework for Sustainable Food Packaging Design