Plastic food packaging serves an essential function, however, the very material that prevents food waste has become one of South Asia鈥檚 most severe environmental threats. Sustainable food systems cannot be achieved without addressing the plastic waste crisis.
Plastic packaging plays an indispensable role in modern food systems, protecting produce during transport and extending shelf life to ensure food security. Yet this essential function creates a critical dilemma: the very material that prevents food waste has become one of South Asia鈥檚 most severe environmental threats.
The scale of the crisis is severe - , only marginally below the . Across South Asian nations, most plastic waste ends up burned in open fires or scattered across landscapes, with lightweight food packaging among the most problematic waste streams.
This widespread mismanagement contaminates soil systems, pollutes water bodies from rivers to oceans, and ultimately threatens our food production systems.
The urgency of this crisis intensifies with the . The treaty discussions are focusing on critical aspects such as phasing out non-essential plastic uses while recognising that some applications may require transitional approaches.
The treaty framework emphasises identifying alternatives for non-critical uses and establishing robust waste management systems for necessary applications. This balanced approach acknowledges both environmental imperatives and practical realities of food security in the region.
Plastic packaging serves critical functions in food systems that cannot be overlooked:
Provides superior shelf-life extension
Maintains essential barrier properties
Ensures food quality standards
Enhances marketing appeal
Significantly reduces food loss during transport and storage
Eliminating plastic packaging entirely would be neither practical nor beneficial for food security.
Instead, the challenge requires a dual approach: using plastic packaging where it genuinely prevents food waste while simultaneously developing robust systems to manage the resulting plastic waste.
This means accepting that some plastic use remains necessary for food security but ensuring that every piece of plastic entering the food system has a clear end-of-life pathway through improved collection, recycling, and processing infrastructure.
Both behavioural changes among consumers and systemic changes in production and manufacturing practices are essential for achieving circular economy goals in the food packaging sector.
The importance of data emerges as a recurring theme in addressing plastic packaging challenges. Robust data systems for tracking plastic flows, recycling rates, and waste management outcomes are essential for evidence-based policymaking. Without accurate tracking of plastic flows 鈥 from production through disposal 鈥 policymakers operate in the dark, unable to assess which interventions succeed or where resources should be directed.聽
This data deficit undermines strategic planning and investment decisions. For instance, without knowing which types of plastic packaging dominate waste streams, designing targeted recycling infrastructure becomes extremely difficult. Similarly, measuring the effectiveness of reduction initiatives requires baseline data that many countries currently lack.
Countries will need verifiable data to set realistic targets, monitor compliance, and demonstrate progress.
Establishing robust data systems now will determine whether treaty commitments translate into meaningful environmental improvements or remain aspirational statements.
Integrated approaches to addressing the problem require breaking down silos and building strategic partnerships across the value chain. Key elements include:
Multi-stakeholder platforms that facilitate understanding of challenges and opportunities across sectors
Aligned economic incentives through shared value models - packaging manufacturers could receive credits for designing recyclable products, while food producers might benefit from reduced waste management fees when using sustainable packaging
Knowledge transfer mechanisms enabling successful pilots from one country to be adapted across the region
Digital infrastructure can serve to connect stakeholders across borders, facilitate real-time sharing of best practices, create databases of successful innovations, and enable matchmaking between food producers seeking sustainable solutions and packaging manufacturers offering innovative alternatives.
Transitioning from isolated national efforts to integrated regional strategies where knowledge, resources, and infrastructure are shared for collective impact represents the most viable pathway for scaling circular solutions in the food sector.
The fundamental insight remains clear: sustainable food systems cannot be achieved without addressing the plastic waste crisis.
Solutions exist but require collective will, regional collaboration, and systemic thinking to implement at scale. The path forward involves maintaining the benefits of plastic packaging for food security while dramatically improving waste management systems through integrated, data-driven approaches that unite all stakeholders in pursuit of truly circular food systems.
The insights presented in this article were highlighted by the author Randika Jayasinghe (CSDR GOAP Fellow), during her contributions to the panel session 鈥淐ircular Solutions: Boosting Resource Efficiency鈥 at the 鈥淏eyond Waste: Optimising food, water and energy for better nutrition in South Asia鈥 conference. This conference, held on 18-19 June 2025 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was hosted by SAPLING (South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth) 鈥 a dynamic regional platform led by the World Bank that brings together experts to explore transformative solutions for sustainable food systems 鈥 and co-organised by the Prime Minister鈥檚 office of Sri Lanka. The panel, moderated by Anar Bhatt (WRI India), also featured Sumit Pokhrel (Asian Development Bank), Susanne Bodach (IWMI), and Kristin Pei Kagetsu (Saathi Eco Innovations).