Packaging Reduction - Doing more with less

Modern distribution and packaging systems allow consumers to buy food and goods when and where they want them, in good condition, with little wastage and at a price they are willing and able to pay. Consumer choice has expanded dramatically in recent years; between the 1960s and 1990s the number of product lines in the average supermarket rose from 2,000 to 18,000, although this did not increased the total weight of packaging used by a household. New technology, new materials, demographic changes and changing consumer needs all contribute to an 'optimisation' of resources - doing more with less. For example, a metal drinks can uses less than half the weight of tinplate used 30 years ago. This 20-page illustrated booklet shows how packaging uses less material and less energy to provide better protection than ever before