The use of disposable packaging is essential to the performance of global food systems, but it has led to global environmental problems. There is a recognised need for collaborative governance, because authoritative governance alone cannot push forward the systemic sustainability transformations required to resolve these challenges. In this qualitative case study, we apply interpretive policy analysis to study actors' motivations and experiences of deliberation. The aim is to understand how institutional ambiguities, caused by the intertwining of waste and food policies, shape collaboration around two different types of collaborative governance initiatives that address food packaging in Finland – the Plastics Roadmap and the Material Efficiency Commitment for the food industry. The results show that the deliberation is shaped by different sustainability narratives which have contradictory roles for food packaging. The contradiction arises from food and plastic policies which fail to properly address food packaging and its functions. By pointing to the importance of uncertainties in the governance of food packaging, our results emphasise the need to increase the understanding of institutional ambiguities related to policy topics that fall between the big policy debates. These ambiguities are nevertheless important and need to be addressed while attempting to achieve broader sustainability goals.

一次性包装的使用对全球食品系统的运行至关重要，但它也导致了全球环境问题。协作治理的必要性已得到公认，因为仅靠权威治理无法推动解决这些挑战所需的系统性可持续性转型。在这个定性案例研究中，我们应用解释性政策分析来研究参与者的动机和审议经验。目的是了解由废物和食品政策交织造成的制度模糊性如何围绕芬兰解决食品包装的两种不同类型的协作治理举措——塑料路线图和食品行业材料效率承诺——形成合作。结果表明，审议是由不同的可持续性叙述形成的，这些叙述对食品包装具有相互矛盾的作用。矛盾源于食品和塑料政策未能妥善处理食品包装及其功能。通过指出不确定性在食品包装治理中的重要性，我们的研究结果强调需要增加对与大政策辩论之间的政策主题相关的制度模糊性的理解。然而，这些模糊性仍然很重要，需要在努力实现更广泛的可持续发展目标时加以解决。通过指出不确定性在食品包装治理中的重要性，我们的研究结果强调需要增加对与大政策辩论之间的政策主题相关的制度模糊性的理解。然而，这些模糊性仍然很重要，需要在努力实现更广泛的可持续发展目标时加以解决。通过指出不确定性在食品包装治理中的重要性，我们的研究结果强调需要增加对与大政策辩论之间的政策主题相关的制度模糊性的理解。然而，这些模糊性仍然很重要，需要在努力实现更广泛的可持续发展目标时加以解决。