Düsseldorf (Germany) / Horgen (Switzerland), March 5, 2013 – Today, the SAVE FOOD initiative and Dow Performance Packaging, a business unit of Performance Plastics within Dow Europe GmbH (NYSE: DOW), announce that the Company has become an official member of the SAVE FOOD initiative. This decision is an important next step for Dow, based on the objectives of both organizations to address the global issue of food shortage and food waste. SAVE FOOD is pleased to include a supplier of resins to the food packaging value chain as one of their members, allowing the Initiative to add yet another option to fight food waste.
The SAVE FOOD initiative is a joint campaign instituted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH to fight global food loss. “The aim of the SAVE FOOD initiative is to reduce the problem of food loss and food waste by networking the know-how of the participating organisations and enterprises. With its expertise and international scope, Dow can make a major contribution to the success of SAVE FOOD.
Ultimately, the most effective leverage points in the food value chain will be always be found „at the workface‟ in day-to-day practice – and that is where industry involvement is essential,” explains Bernd Jablonowski, Director of interpack and SAVE FOOD at Messe Düsseldorf. One of Dow’s corporate 2015 Sustainability Goals is to achieve at least three breakthroughs that will significantly help solve the world’s major challenges, including affordable and adequate food supply. As it is one of Dow’s business objectives to contribute to the development of better packaging solutions, there is a clear fit between the two organizations.
Dow Performance Packaging joins the SAVE FOOD Initiative
“As one of the major suppliers to the food packaging industry, it is our aim to develop the best possible food packaging solutions to safeguard food,” says Marc van den Biggelaar, Marketing Director Food Packaging EMEA at Dow. “Our membership with SAVE FOOD provides us the opportunity to engage with the industry and contribute to the development of next-generation packaging materials, which will drive the reduction of food waste”.
At the same time, the membership of SAVE FOOD will help Dow share its views and knowledge regarding food packaging solutions with other involved parties. “The food waste challenge is a very large and complex one, which requires unique collaboration. By joining SAVE FOOD, we add another option to work across the value chain on the reduction of food waste,” says Marc. “We are looking forward to working with the Initiative and its members and are proud to be part of this organization”.
More information: www.dow.com.
