How do we move away from a linear model, where we create a product from scratch, use and discard? What standards are needed to enable us transition to a circular economy? What is the role of consumer behavior in creating a food system that is sustainable? Leaders across the food industry answer these and other questions in a new report Designing for Circularity, published by Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable food packaging solutions. The report includes expert views from industry leaders such as McDonald’s and Stora Enso, as well as academia, NGOs and institutions.

The global food packaging industry is setting ambitious targets to make its operations more sustainable, working on designing for circularity across systems and products. However, lasting solutions need cooperation between different contributors.

“While we have seen a significant leap forward in terms of our industry-wide commitment to sustainability we know that to deliver groundbreaking solutions we have to work across the industry and that no single organization holds all the answers”, says Thomasine Kamerling, Executive Vice President, Sustainability and Communications at Huhtamaki. “Our Circularity report helps to set out on what is needed today to address some of the biggest challenges we face in the creation of true and lasting sustainability, together. We are delighted that so many organizations have taken the opportunity to share their thoughts on what is needed next by contributing directly to the report.

The multi-perspective report includes opinions across the entire food system value chain

The current economy and its regulations have been designed for linear use of virgin materials – create a product from scratch, use and discard. The food packaging industry now calls for new standards to enable transition to a circular economy.

“We need fact-based regulation that provides a clear and predictable framework and enables a systemic change towards circularity. It should promote the use of renewable resources and must encourage businesses to invest in the next generation of environmental innovation. It should also focus on educating consumers and building collection-recycling infrastructures,” reasons Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki.

In addition to Huhtamaki and Stora Enso, the report collects views from McDonald’s, Mars Petcare, Food System 6, WasteAid, The Happy Pear, Closed Loop Partners, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, a Member of European Parliament, an academic at Cambridge University and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. The report is available on www.think-circle.com.

Topics highlighted in the report will be discussed in a Think Circle roundtable discussion today, November 10, 2020 at 14.00 EET. The discussion is moderated by journalist and author Anu Partanen, editor-in-chief of the Designing for Circularity report. Panelists in today’s discussion include Caesaré Assad, CEO of Food System 6; Annica Bresky, President and CEO of Stora Enso; Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki; Frank Heidlberger, Global Packaging Director for McDonald’s; and Jyrki Katainen, President of The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. The virtual panel discussion can be followed from https://worksup.com/thinkcircle.

Thomasine Kamerling, Executive Vice President Sustainability and Communications at Huhtamaki: “Our Circularity report is the first step of Think Circle, an initiative towards open stakeholder discussion for a more sustainable future. We believe in protecting food, people and the planet and making a positive contribution in everything we do. Think Future. Think Circle. ©”