A Realist Review of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Food Packaging Interventions in Food Waste and Healthy Eating

Abstract

The significant environmental and health impacts of food packaging underscore the need for more effective interventions to promote sustainable lifestyles and consumer well-being. This study conducted a realist review of 96 articles published in top-tier journals between 2019 and 2024, focusing on packaging interventions aimed at promoting healthy food consumption and food waste reduction. It explored the mechanisms and contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of such interventions in real-world settings. Using directed content analysis guided by a context–mechanism–outcome (CMO) framework, the study identified how, for whom, under what circumstances, and why sustainable food packaging interventions succeed. The findings yielded several guiding principles to enhance intervention effectiveness, including: (1) improving clarity of packaging communication to help consumers assess food healthiness; (2) involving consumers in packaging innovation to increase acceptance of novel technologies; and (3) developing business models that share responsibility, benefits, and risks across the food supply chain. This research contributes to the literature by (1) offering deeper insights into the contextual and mechanistic pathways that shape outcomes of sustainable food packaging interventions and (2) proposing 12 actionable principles to support healthier eating and food waste reduction for key stakeholders.