Season 2, Episode 2: Tackling the Food Waste Crisis
Welcome back to Crazy About Packaging! In this episode, Natalie, Mike, and Jonathan team up with food waste expert Angel Veza from ReFED to explore how packaging plays a crucial role in addressing the U.S. food waste crisis. Discover staggering statistics, innovative solutions, and learn how packaging can help reduce food waste, combat climate change, and save money.
🌍 Angel Veza, Senior Manager at ReFED, joins the show to share her expertise in food waste reduction. With her culinary background and sustainability focus, Angel leads initiatives at ReFED that drive impactful, data-driven solutions across the supply chain.
📊 Did you know that 38% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten, equating to 7.6 million tons of waste? Angel breaks down the financial and environmental impacts, painting a vivid picture of the waste's true cost—$444 billion, or 2% of U.S. GDP.
♻️ While packaging often gets a bad rap, Angel reveals how smart design and innovation—like barrier packaging, resealable options, and improved date labels—can extend shelf life and prevent food from going to waste.
🌡️ Explore cutting-edge solutions like sensors that detect spoilage and temperature-sensitive packaging. Angel emphasizes that reducing food waste will require multiple strategies working in unison for a lasting impact.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website, and join the conversation on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Together, let’s get crazy about packaging and make a difference in reducing food waste.