“While most people abhor when food is wasted, that doesn’t stop food waste from being one of the biggest contributors to environmental concerns.

The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 31% of food is lost at the retail and consumer levels. And food waste is one of the largest contributors to the materials that go into landfills, second only to paper and paperboard products, says Evan Arnold, vice president of business development for Glenroy, Inc.

In addition, the challenges with landfilling food include that it increases levels of methane gas, with landfills accounting for 15% of methane emissions. Those emissions add to the overall problems with greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, Arnold says.

“So how do we attack this challenge head-on?” says Arnold, who spoke during a presentation held in September during the PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO at the Las Vegas Convention Center. One answer is preserving and extending the shelf life of food through flexible packaging.