The Use of Plastic Packaging for Food Aid in Humanitarian Relief

As part of the Oxford materials science course, I was teamed up with 6 other students to search for a materials solution to the problem of plastic pollution in humanitarian aid!

It is clear the problems that we are tackling are pressing and require a large, coordinated effort. In the report, we explored the current situation, waste management systems and financials, concluding that a materials solution is the best way forward to address this problem and that we are optimistic that it can be done!

We consulted:

[A] Samantha Brangeon (ICF) for help in framing the needs of the problem

[B] Amro El-Zoubi (ICF) for running the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the Joint Initiative for Sustainable

Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management from which many of the statistics are sourced

[C] Tomas Anderson (RISE Research) for discussion on the difference in criteria for solutions and packaging in commercial and humanitarian settings

[D] Professor Peter Rättö (RISE Research, Karlstad University) for technical discussion on materials requirements and the use of cellulose to improve barrier properties

[E] Sezgi Akçay (UNICEF) for discussions on the supply chain of humanitarian aid

[F] Monica Cristina Rios Romero (UNICEF) for discussion on performance requirements of humanitarian aid packaging during storage

[G] Greg Rulifson (USAID) for suggesting resources to study the logistics and processes of humanitarian aid