ELMWOOD PARK, N.J.,
July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- Fifty million tons of food wasted every year in the United States alone;
- American grocery shoppers report being more concerned about
food waste in the U.S. than air pollution, water shortages, climate
change and genetically modified foods; and
- Yet, American grocery shoppers are least concerned
about food waste in their own household.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click:
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Global demand for food has never been higher, as populations
skyrocket and developing areas of the world strive to feed their
citizens. But in the United
States, more than one-third of the food produced is never
eaten and a new online survey of U.S. grocery shoppers' attitudes
conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE:
SEE) shows that food waste in the U.S. is near the top of the list
of consumers' environmental concerns and they are willing to change
behaviors if better informed on the issue. The April 2014 study interviewed over 1,000 U.S.
adults (aged 18+) who do at least 25% of their household's grocery
shopping ("American grocery shoppers").
Sealed Air commissioned the report to evaluate Americans' food
habits, sustainability practices, and overall awareness of food
waste issues. The study's key findings show that while there
is growing concern and awareness of how much food is wasted in
the United States, most American
grocery shoppers still don't consider their own households to be
wasteful or a part of the problem.
"The good news is that more and more people are becoming aware
of the staggering statistics surrounding food waste and its
devastating environmental, economic and social impact on the
world," said Ron Cotterman, Vice
President of sustainability at Sealed Air.
According to the survey, American grocery shoppers report being
more concerned about food waste in the U.S. (63% concerned or very
concerned) than other issues such as air pollution (59%), water
shortages (57%), climate change (53%) and genetically modified
foods (52%). However, most American grocery shoppers are not
concerned about food waste in their own household. 63% say food
waste in the U.S. is a concern, yet only 34% say food waste in
their home is a concern.
While food packaging plays a key role in preventing waste, the
Sealed Air study also found that American grocery shoppers:
- associate food packaging more with safety than waste;
- see discarded packaging as worse for the environment than food
waste and food that has minimal or no packaging being more
environmentally friendly; and
- will often behave contrary to their beliefs (in the last six
months, 40 percent have removed original packaging on store bought
foods and repackaged it).
"Grocery shoppers have troubling misperceptions about food
packaging, and mistakenly view it as a contributor to food waste
rather than correctly acknowledging its role as food preserver,"
adds Cotterman. "We believe that by better understanding
where and why food is wasted we can generate increased awareness
and identify opportunities to help change consumer behavior and
prevent food waste."
About the Study
The 2014 Food Waste Study was
conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Sealed Air Corporation
between April 18 and April 25, 2014.
Survey respondents include 1,005 adults aged 18+ who reside in the
U.S. and who do at least 25% of their household's grocery shopping.
Results were weighted as needed for age by gender, education,
race/ethnicity, region and household income. Propensity score
weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be
online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated; a full methodology is available.
About Sealed Air
Sealed Air creates a world that
feels, tastes and works better. In 2013, Sealed Air generated
revenue of approximately $7.7 billion
by helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals in the
face of today's biggest social and environmental challenges. Our
portfolio of widely recognized brands, including Cryovac® brand
food packaging solutions, Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning and
Diversey™ cleaning and hygiene solutions, ensures a safer and less
wasteful food supply chain, protects valuable goods shipped around
the world, and improves health through clean environments. Sealed
Air has approximately 25,000 employees who serve customers in 175
countries. To learn more, visit www.sealedair.com. Information on
Sealed Air's website is not incorporated into, and does not form a
part of, this press release.
Website Information
We routinely post important
information for investors on our website, www.sealedair.com, in the
"Investor Relations" section. We use this website as a means of
disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with
our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly,
investors should monitor the Investor Relations section of our
website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings,
public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The
information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our
website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part
of, this document.
About Nielsen & The Harris Poll
On February 3, 2014, Nielsen acquired Harris
Interactive and The Harris Poll. Nielsen Holdings N.V. (NYSE:
NLSN) is a global information and measurement company with leading
market positions in marketing and consumer information, television
and other media measurement, online intelligence and mobile
measurement. Nielsen has a presence in approximately 100 countries,
with headquarters in New York, USA
and Diemen, the Netherlands. For
more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press
release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning our
business, consolidated financial condition and results of
operations. These statements include comments as to future events
that may affect Sealed Air, which are based upon management's
current expectations and are subject to uncertainties, many of
which are outside Sealed Air's control. Forward-looking statements
can be identified by such words as "anticipates," "expects,"
"believes," "plan," "could," "estimate," "will" and similar
expressions. A variety of factors may cause actual results to
differ materially from these expectations, including economic
conditions affecting packaging utilization, changes in raw material
costs, currency translation effects, and legal proceedings. For
more extensive information, see "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements," which appear in our
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be revised and
updated from time to time by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and
Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. These reports are available on the Securities
and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or our Investor
Relations home page at http://ir.sealedair.com. Information on
Sealed Air's website is not incorporated into, and does not form a
part of, this press release. Sealed Air does not undertake any
obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to
reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such
statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release,
please click:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7270651-sealed-air-2014-food-waste-survey/
SOURCE Sealed Air