Life Cycle Assessment

Mehrweg in der Takeaway – Gastronomie

Kleinhückelkotten et al. (2021)

This document focuses on the environmental impact of single-use packaging in the takeaway food industry and explores sustainable alternatives. It emphasises that reusable packaging is a more environmentally friendly option compared to disposables, especially when used multiple times. The report covers the legal frameworks, ecological and social issues related to disposable packaging, and evaluates the sustainability of reusable systems. It also suggests strategies for increasing the adoption of reusable containers by both businesses and consumers.

E-commerce in Europe

PostNord (2021)

PostNord has studied the European e-commerce market in the E-commerce in Europe report since 2014. The report is based on interviews with a total of about 12,000 consumers in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The report takes into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the European e-commerce market while generally analysing e-commerce trends in Europe and the world in 2020.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated With Food Packaging for Online Food Delivery Services in Australia

Arunan et al. (2021)

This paper focuses on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with packaging used in online food delivery services (OFDS). It quantifies the environmental impact of food packaging production and disposal in Australia, using a life cycle assessment approach. The study finds that packaging-related emissions for a single order range between 0.15 and 0.29 kg CO2e, with raw material production contributing over half of the emissions. It predicts a 132% rise in OFDS-related packaging emissions by 2024 and provides insights into reducing these impacts through better waste management strategies.

Environmental payback periods of reusable alternatives to single‐use plastic kitchenware products

Fetner & Miller (2021)

Many consumers are moving from single-use plastics to reusable alternatives, often assuming these have lower environmental impacts; however, reusable items frequently involve more resource-intensive materials and have notable use-phase impacts. This study used LCA to examine the GWP, water consumption, and primary nonrenewable energy use of reusable alternatives for single-use plastic kitchenware, calculating environmental payback periods. Findings indicate that reusable options can offset their initial environmental impacts, depending on usage frequency, consumer habits, and—specifically for GWP—the carbon intensity of the energy grid. A key takeaway is that consumer behaviour and usage patterns significantly influence the environmental impact of reusable kitchenware.

reCIRCLE. Lebenszyklus und Kreislauf Analyse

Environmental Action (2021)

The document analyses the environmental impact of reCIRCLE, a Swiss company offering reusable packaging systems for takeaway food. It compares the life cycle environmental performance of reCIRCLE’s reusable containers to single-use packaging alternatives commonly used in Switzerland. The study evaluates various factors, such as material production, usage frequency, washing, and recycling, to assess the overall carbon footprint and waste generation. The findings suggest that reCIRCLE’s reusable containers significantly reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions compared to disposable options, especially when reused multiple times. The report highlights the potential environmental benefits of adopting reusable packaging systems and supports policies promoting their wider use to mitigate the negative impacts of single-use packaging.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of polypropylene and cardboard layer pads for transport

Cartonplast Holding GmbH, Sustainserve (2021)

As the leading European provider of polypropylene (PP) layer pads used as divider sheets in the food, beverage, pharma, and cosmetic industries, the Cartonplast Group offers its customers reusable layer pads on a rental basis under strict hygiene standards. In 2014, the company conducted a comparative environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of reusable layer pads made from polypropylene (PP) versus corrugated cardboard (CB). This report discusses the results based on updated data from 2020.

A Comparative Case Study to Establish the Breakeven Point Between Specific Reuse and Single-Use Transport Packaging for Cut Flowers

The LCA Centre, Corplex (2022)

This LCA report evaluates the environmental impact of Corplex’s reusable plastic flower transport box compared to a single-use carton box, aiming to identify the “breakeven” reuse point where the plastic box’s impact becomes lower. Based on theoretical data, four scenarios were modelled, assessing the effects of transport and tertiary packaging. The results suggest that reuse impact is heavily influenced by system variables, including pool size, replenishment rate, and box losses. The study includes a tool to calculate breakeven points, underscoring the need for optimising these factors for effective environmental benefits.

Mehrweg-Gläser für Lebensmittel – ökolo- gisch sinnvoll oder nicht?

Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung (2022)

The fact sheet from IFEU focuses on the environmental benefits of using reusable glass jars for food packaging. It compares the life cycle impacts of reusable glass containers with single-use packaging, particularly in terms of resource consumption, energy use, and carbon emissions. The document highlights that reusable glass jars have a lower environmental impact after several reuse cycles, reducing waste and conserving resources. It advocates for expanding the use of reusable glass containers to minimise environmental harm in the food industry.

Hot-spot Analysis of E-Commerce Logistic Chain: Single-Use vs Reusable Solutions

Ramboll (2022)

The hot-spot analysis is intended as an environmental meta-study and focuses on alternative options for e-commerce with the aim of identifying possible strategies for improvement/areas for innovation to reduce packaging impacts. This report investigates single-use (SU) and multiple-use (MU) packaging solutions. These two solutions could be made of different materials (e.g., corrugated board, plastic bags, rigid plastic crates, paper bags, flexible packaging). The main focus of this analysis is the e-commerce supply chain, such as information related to online shops (and platforms), automatisation of processes, digital purchasing, shipping of products, as well as other relevant aspects, such as product damage, packaging void, empty load transport, logistics, return transport or weight of the packaging.

Single-use Supermarket Food Packaging and its Alternatives: Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments

UN Environment Programme (2022)

The report analyses the environmental impact of single-use plastic food packaging compared to alternative packaging solutions. The report highlights the widespread use of plastic in supermarkets, noting that plastic dominates all packaging materials, especially in North America. Single-use plastics contribute significantly to plastic pollution, with food packaging playing a major role. The report draws from 33 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, focusing on three key food categories: refrigerated products, fresh produce, and pantry goods. It identifies four main themes: the relationship between packaging and food waste, the potential of bio-based and biodegradable plastics, the viability of reusable packaging systems, and the limited consideration of plastic litter’s effects on ecosystems and human health. These findings provide recommendations for policymakers to consider alternatives to single-use plastic packaging in supermarkets.

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