The Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) will mark the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September by highlighting how Australian research into Save Food Packaging is being translated into international practice.
The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, calls on the public and private sectors to accelerate action and innovation to reduce food loss and waste.
The AIP's work in Save Food Packaging sits at the intersection of Australian research now becoming international practice.
AIP executive director Nerida Kelton said the Institute had spent eight years building awareness of the role packaging can play in reducing food loss and waste.
“The development of the Save Food Packaging Design Guidelines, in partnership with End Food Waste Australia and RMIT University, was the catalyst for change in the industry and something we are very proud of,” Kelton said.
Since then, the AIP has developed awards, case studies, workshops and training courses focused on Save Food Packaging, reaching more than 16,500 people worldwide. The World Packaging Organisation has also worked with the AIP to extend the guidelines’ international reach.
The guidelines informed the first global position paper on the paradox between food and packaging waste, developed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Wageningen University. The AIP also participates in the Save Food Initiative, works with interpack on its Save Food Awards and forums, and supports the FAO, Foundation FSSC and WPO members.
Most recently, elements of the guidelines were incorporated into Version 7 of the FSSC 22000 food safety management certification scheme. According to the AIP, this means more than 40,000 food and feed organisations could be required to consider product and packaging design within their food safety management systems.
“The work with FSSC provides the impetus needed for food companies to better understand the role packaging plays in reducing food loss and waste,” Kelton said.
From research to implementation
Professor Simon Lockrey, National Reduce Program Leader at End Food Waste CRC and Professor in RMIT University’s School of Design, said the long-running collaboration between RMIT and the AIP had produced evidence-based resources for food manufacturers, packaging technologists, designers, managers and brand owners.
The partners are now helping small and medium-sized businesses make packaging choices that improve shelf life, functionality and environmental performance. They will also work together on a project focused on date labels and storage advice, both on and off pack, to help households reduce food waste.
“AIP will be crucial as we launch a new project to transform date labels and storage advice on and off pack,” Lockrey said. “It is an indispensable partner in our fight to end food loss and waste globally.”
Foundation FSSC technical manager safety and quality Kelly Mulholland said FSSC 22000 Version 6 introduced requirements for organisations to develop policies and strategies addressing food loss and waste.
Version 7 goes further by incorporating elements of the Save Food Packaging Design Guidelines for organisations that design primary packaging or packaging materials.
“Potentially more than 40,000 organisations will be required to consider these principles, further supporting the reduction of food loss and waste,” Mulholland said.
Designing waste out
AIP education director and WPO immediate past president Professor Pierre Pienaar said the international day reinforced the need for collaboration across the food value chain.
He said scientifically supported packaging strategies – including barrier protection, portion control and clear consumer communication – could be embedded in product development to help prevent waste.
“By incorporating smart packaging design strategies into product development, we can actively engineer waste-reduction solutions and drive meaningful, long-term change,” Pienaar said.
The AIP’s influence is also extending into the education of future packaging designers. Dr Caroline Francis, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design at RMIT University, said the Institute’s involvement in RMIT’s 2026 Packaging Innovation Studio would help students understand packaging’s role beyond product protection and presentation.
Students are being encouraged to consider protection, preservation, portioning, accessibility, communication, consumer behaviour and end-of-life outcomes across the food system.
Francis said the approach had already produced results. Every team participating in the 2024 Packaging Innovation Studio received recognition at the Packaging Innovation & Design Awards, while two teams went on to receive WorldStar Student Awards in 2025.
“The collaboration between RMIT University and the AIP is equipping future design leaders to create packaging solutions that can make a difference in Australia and internationally,” she said.
Practical solutions
Result Group managing director Michael Dossor said the company was focused on technologies that protect food, extend shelf life, improve traceability and reduce loss across the supply chain.
He pointed to Reclose by Sealstrip, used by customers including Mission Foods and True Foods, as an example of a resealable feature designed to keep food protected after opening. Dossor also cited Simplot’s Gold-winning entry in the 2026 Packaging Innovation & Design Awards as evidence of what can be achieved when packaging is designed around both the product and how consumers use it.
He said the AIP’s education and knowledge-sharing activities, together with its Save Food Packaging Design Guidelines, encouraged companies to look beyond packaging materials and consider how design could protect food and support consumers.
“There is no single answer to food waste, but every better design, technology and decision moves us in the right direction,” Dossor said.
