Wageningen Food & Biobased Research Institute Demonstrates StepacPPC's Packaging Solutions' GHG Reduction through Waste Reduction and Sea Transport Facilitation

Research conducted at the Wageningen Food & Biobased Facility in the Netherlands has showcased the environmental benefits of Xtend, Xflow, and Xgo packaging solutions by StepacPPC. These innovative packaging solutions play a crucial role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by curbing waste within the fresh produce supply chain and enabling more eco-friendly sea transport over air transport for long-distance shipments. Importantly, the GHG reduction achieved significantly surpasses the emissions associated with the lifecycle of the packaging materials themselves.

For instance, employing Xtend packaging for shipping green beans from Guatemala to Miami allows for transportation via container ship rather than air freight. This switch slashes the carbon footprint by an impressive 65,232 CO2 equivalents per container load, equivalent to the annual emissions of 20 typical passenger vehicles.

Today, global food waste stands at a staggering 30%+, contributing approximately 8% of total GHG emissions. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions like those offered by StepacPPC.

The findings underscore the pivotal role of StePacPPC's bulk and retail packaging in reducing GHG emissions through waste reduction in the fresh produce supply chain and advocating for sea transport as a viable alternative to air freight.

Drawing from the research, StePacPPC projects that across all supply chains where its packaging solutions are implemented, over 100,000,000 kg of CO2-equivalent emissions were saved in 2023 alone. This remarkable achievement equates to the annual emissions of 31,000 passenger vehicles, illustrating the substantial environmental impact of their initiatives.

More information: StePacPPC Packaging for a Sustainable Future Brochure