Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable Plastic Crates

Tua et al. (2019)

This paper evaluates the environmental impact of reusable plastic crates (RPCs) used in Italy for distributing fruit and vegetables. By conducting a life cycle assessment across 12 impact categories, including energy and water consumption, the study finds that the environmental benefits of RPC increase with their number of uses. It finds that initially, the impact is highest during the manufacturing stage, but with more deliveries, the reconditioning process becomes a significant factor. RPCs need to be used at least three times to outperform single-use crates in terms of environmental impact. The study’s approach can also be applied to other reusable packaging systems across Europe.

Generic filters
Search in excerpt