Food packaging

Mr Green’s Y10 class are researching the benefits and problems associated with using plastics in food packaging.

There are lots of books in the library that will help you with your factsheet.  Look out for books with a Dewey number of 338.  You’ll find the Dewey number on the spine of each book.  These books will have lots of information about waste and recycling.  Books with Dewey numbers of 330.9 will have information about sustainability which will be useful too.

Here are some websites that will help you with your factsheet.

Food packaging and labelling – although this BBC Bitesize is part of the GCSE Technology webpages, it’s worth a look to get ideas about the overuse and design of packaging.

Food packaging waste a concern – this article from Scientist Live highlights other countries views on food packaging.

Food packaging – why the waste? – these webpages from BBC Food explain some of the problems associated with the food packaging and ways in which the waste can be reduced.

Packaging – Frequently Asked Questions – this webpage from the Institute of Food Science and Technology answers questions concerning the need to package food, problems with waste and possible solutions including recycling and re-filling packaging.

Packaging recycling information sheet – this webpage from Waste Online is an excellent source of information including the different forms of packing, the recycling of packaging and what the law requires.

Re-using packaging – this webpage from the Food Standards Agency highlights some of the problems with people re-using plastic food packaging. 

Scientists link plastic food containers with breast cancer – this 2005 article from the Guardian newspaper suggests a link between plastic food containers and breast cancer.