Packaging and label printing technologies are being positioned as key tools in reducing food waste across the global retail supply chain, according to new research published by Avery Dennison.
The “Making the Invisible Visible” report estimates that the economic cost of food waste will reach $540 billion (£401 billion) globally by 2026, with losses equivalent to around 33% of total revenues across the food retail supply chain. Despite growing awareness, the study found that 61% of businesses still lack full visibility into where food waste occurs.
The report highlights intelligent labelling and digital identification technologies, including RFID, QR codes and time–temperature indicators, as effective ways to address these visibility gaps. By enabling item-level tracking from transit to shelf, such technologies can support more accurate inventory management, faster recalls and improved identification of spoilage risks – particularly in high-value perishable categories.
Printed expiry and freshness labelling is also identified as an area where improvements could deliver immediate waste reductions. The report notes that inconsistent or unclear date labelling contributes to unnecessary product loss, creating opportunities for more accurate, standardised and legible printed labels to support better stock rotation and freshness management at retail level.
In addition, the findings point to materials and packaging innovations – including freshness-extending labels, resealable formats and recyclable packaging – as practical interventions that can help extend shelf life while supporting sustainability targets.
Avery Dennison said many of the solutions needed to reduce waste rely on printed labels and packaging formats to function, reinforcing the role of packaging printers in enabling what the report describes as “targeted innovation and cross-supply chain collaboration”.
The research, based on input from 3500 global retailers and supply chain leaders, found that meat, produce and baked goods remain the most challenging categories for waste. Transit was identified as a key blind spot, with more than half of respondents reporting limited understanding of how much food waste occurs during transportation.
If current trends continue, cumulative food waste losses are expected to reach $3.4 trillion (£2.5 trillion) between 2025 and 2030, the report warned, underscoring the growing commercial pressure on retailers and suppliers to adopt smarter labelling and packaging solutions.
Julie Vargas, vice president/general manager, enterprise intelligent labels growth at Avery Dennison, said: “Food waste has become an accepted cost of doing business, but it doesn’t have to be. Innovation exists today to help overcome the complexity of food waste by unlocking new possibilities and transforming a historic operating cost into measurable value across the global retail supply chain.”
