Sir, By using sustainable food packaging, supermarkets can hugely reduce the volume of food waste (“Waste not, want not, Brown tells families”, July 7).

This means using packaging that extends shelf life, has the flexibility to offer meaningful product sizes, allows energy-efficient transport and can enhance consumer confidence in food safety. Using packaging materials that are genuinely recyclable and are actually recycled is also vital.

One material that can genuinely claim to meet these criteria is the metal can. It has a minimum three-year shelf life, comes in relevant sizes, can travel at ambient temperatures, is hermetically sealed to keep food safe and is infinitely recyclable.

Nick Mullen
Director, Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association

Sir, During the Second World War waste from restaurants and other outlets was collected and sent to Tottenham in North London for redistribution as pig food.

It became known as “Tottenham pudding”. Could not a similar project be launched now?

David Morris-Marsham
London SW12

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