A03041: Domestic use, reuse and misuse of food packaging in the home

Study Duration: April 2002 to December 2003

Contractor: Leatherhead International Ltd

Food packaging is designed and tested to demonstrate that it can be used safely for its intended single use. It is generally developed for the transport, storage and/or cooking of a particular food type only. In reality however, packaging may be reused to contain types of food other than those initially intended and in some cases also for direct heating.

This survey will be undertaken to obtain information on the fate of food packaging with respect to its use, reuse and misuse within the domestic environment.

The objectives of the study are to:

• Collect information available from desktop surveys on the domestic use and reuse of food contact packaging materials within the UK.
• Investigate the nature and extent of domestic use and reuse of food and non-food packaging in direct contact with food, including transport, storage and food preparation, cooking and serving, in the UK.
• Evaluate the significance of data gathered with respect to the potential use, misuse and reuse of packaging in the home.

The research study was carried out in two stages.

Groups of consumers in several regions of the UK participated in discussion groups to talk about the way they used and reused different types of food packaging in their homes. The people selected for this exercise were recruited from a broad range of demographic groups to represent most sectors that typically make up the population of the UK.

The feedback collected from these focus groups gave a preliminary indication of the widespread trends in food packaging use and reuse. These findings were used to design a detailed questionnaire that was distributed to 500 households throughout the UK. People were approached to participate in the survey through various consumer organisations and through a market research agency that was sub-contracted to specifically recruit people representative of various demographic groups.

The questionnaire was completed by the person responsible for the majority of food handling and preparation in each household. The survey comprised sections representing each of the major food packaging types identified in the focus groups, namely: cans & tins, wrapping materials, glass containers, plastic bags, plastic containers and other packaging types. Within each section of the survey, questions addressed storage and cooking conditions for both new and previously used packaging materials.

Responses were analysed to investigate trends throughout the general UK population and also to look more specifically at behavioural trends in the smaller groups representative of individual demographic groups within the total population.

The study showed that food packaging was used for purposes other than those for which it was originally intended. In particular, glass and plastic food containers were reused for both storing and cooking food products. Food wrapping materials, plastic bags, and 'other' food packaging materials, whilst widely present in households were not typically reused. Some consumers were not aware of the different types of cling film available and would purchase the cheapest regardless of intended use.

The most frequent reuse was of plastic food containers, for both storage and cooking. Approximately 80% of respondents claimed to reuse plastic containers for food storage, whilst approximately 30% used plastic containers not designed for reuse for heating food in microwave ovens. Consumers tended to assume packaging materials would be suited to microwave use and as a consequence did not check the labelling to determine whether this was so. Thus there may be potential for the contamination of foodstuffs by migration of chemicals from the packaging material if it is not designed to be heated. The risk of contamination to food may be increased when packaging materials are exposed to repeated heating or any process which can soften, deform or damage the material, such as the caustic conditions of a dishwasher.

Final report is available from the FSA Library and Information centre.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk, Dr. Elsie Widdowson Library and Information Services, Food Standards Agency (020 7276 8181/8182 or at library&info@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk).

Contact: For any enquiries concerning this research project, please contact the relevant Programme contact or email science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk