The shift toward reusable and reduced packaging is gaining traction across foodservice and retail supply chains. As companies look to reduce waste and improve sustainability, more packaging is being reused across multiple handling cycles.
However, one practical risk is often overlooked: food packaging, even after use, can attract pests if not properly managed.
Why Food Packaging Can Attract Pests
Packaging that has held food products often retains trace residues such as oils, sugars, and organic particles. While these may not be visible, they can remain detectable to insects and rodents.
Materials such as corrugated and paper-based packaging are particularly susceptible, as they absorb moisture and food residues. Even rigid plastic containers can retain odours if not cleaned thoroughly. In operational environments, these conditions can create localized attractants if packaging is not handled correctly between uses.
Pests are opportunistic. Ants follow scent trails, cockroaches seek out sheltered areas with food residue, and rodents can damage packaging to access what they detect. In warehouse and distribution environments, these risks can scale quickly if not addressed.
Material Selection and Reuse Considerations
Not all packaging formats are equally suited for reuse in food-related applications.
Rigid plastic containers with sealed lids tend to perform well due to their cleanability and resistance to absorption. Glass offers strong hygiene characteristics but is less practical in most logistics environments due to weight and breakage risk.
Paper-based packaging, while recyclable, is more difficult to clean effectively and is generally less suitable for repeated use where contamination risk is a concern.
Reusable formats, such as engineered totes and containers, are designed with cleanability and repeat handling in mind, making them more consistent across multiple cycles.
Storage and Handling Practices
Even properly cleaned packaging can become a risk if storage conditions are not controlled.
In warehouse and back-of-house environments, packaging should be stored in clean, dry, and organized areas. Moisture and clutter increase the likelihood of pest activity. Sealed storage and clear separation between clean and used packaging can help reduce exposure.
Consistency is critical. Packaging that is reused should be part of a defined system, rather than accumulating informally within operations.
Cleaning and Operational Discipline
Effective cleaning is essential for reusable packaging systems. A quick rinse is often insufficient for removing oils and residues, particularly in food applications.
Standard cleaning protocols should include:
- Use of appropriate detergents
- Attention to corners, seams, and closures
- Complete drying before reuse or storage
Inconsistent cleaning introduces variability that can lead to hygiene and pest risks, particularly in high-throughput environments.
Balancing Sustainability with Operational Risk
Reusable packaging systems offer clear environmental and cost advantages. However, those benefits depend on consistent execution.
Maintaining a smaller number of durable, cleanable packaging assets is often more effective than attempting to reuse a wide range of formats that are difficult to manage. Standardization tied to food hygiene and safety can reduce variability and improve both hygiene and operational efficiency.
These considerations align with broader food safety and handling practices seen across regulated environments, where cleaning, storage, and material selection are tightly controlled.
Prevention Over Remediation
If pest activity does occur, it can escalate quickly in environments handling food products. While professional services such as national pest control can address active issues, prevention remains the more effective approach.
Managing residue, selecting appropriate materials, and maintaining disciplined handling practices all contribute to reducing risk.
A Practical Addition to Reuse Strategies
The move toward reuse is an important step in improving packaging sustainability. Adding a focus on hygiene and pest prevention ensures those systems perform as intended.
In practice, this means viewing packaging not just as a container, but as part of a broader operational system, one that requires consistency in design, handling, and maintenance.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
