Packaging paradoxes in food supply chains: exploring characteristics, underlying reasons and management strategies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore different types of packaging paradoxes and the reasons fortheir existence in food supply chains.Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a multiple case study approach with rich empiricaldata from seven leading companies in Swedish food supply chains. The research uses coding and a paradoxtheory lens to analyse packaging paradoxes, both within and between companies in a supply chain.Findings – The paper provides a novel theoretical lens which uses comprehensive empirical data to identifyand categorise four types of packaging paradoxes on two system levels in food supply chains. It presentsdetailed descriptions of, and underlying reasons for, the paradoxes. It also discusses strategies required tomanage packaging paradoxes.Research limitations/implications – Future research should confirm and extend the findings in this studyby incorporating data from companies in other countries. It should cover the importance of paradoxes, theirimpact on company performance and innovation, and how different paradoxes are related to each other.It should also investigate strategies to manage paradoxes further.Practical implications – The findings should help companies acknowledge and identify managementprinciples for packaging paradoxes in food supply chains.Originality/value – It is the first study which systematically explores packaging paradoxes in food supplychains. The study offers a new approach to understand the complexity of packaging decisions in food supplychains. It contributes to the packaging logistics literature by extending theoretical knowledge about conflicts ofinterest related to packaging. The management discussion offers initial insights into management of packaging paradoxes and directions for future research.