LCA of packages should focus on more than just the material
Packages were among the first products investigated in LCA (life cycle assessment). Many consumers were concerned about the unwanted waste, which comes with the product. Most LCA studies in this field compare different types of packaging materials or designs.
Early of our research works has shown that e.g. for meat and vegetables packages are not of major importance if the full product life cycle including agriculture, transports and consumption is taken into account. On the other side the type of package might have important influences on the product itself or certain products can only be packed in specific types of packages. Thus, a standalone comparison does not make sense in many cases.
The approach of taking the full life cycle of the packed product into account has been further developed in recent years. Case studies e.g. on mineral water, butter, coffee, chocolate or ready-made lasagna investigated the performance and influence of the packaging in the full life cycle of the product. These influences might be quite different depending on the product. For simple products as e.g. mineral water, packaging turns out to be of high importance. For complex products as e.g. lasagna the packaging is of minor importance, but on the other side a bad packaging might increase the environmental impacts due to losses of the product itself. Thus, the optimum packaging can only be designed if its influence in the life cycle is considered as well.
Contact us for more information if you are interested to investigate the role of packages within the life cycle of a product.
The following publications are available:
Flury K., Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2012) Ready-to-serve vs. home-made lasagne: An LCA with a focus on food waste in different production chains. ESU-services Ltd. commissioned by European Aluminium Foil Association e.V. (EAFA), Düsseldorf, DE and Zürich, CH. Executive summary.
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2011) LCA of Ready-to-Serve Goulash Soup Packed in Stand-Up Pouches. ESU-services Ltd. Uster, Switzerland. Commissioned by European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), Düsseldorf, Germany.
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2009) LCA of Ready-to-Serve Lasagne Bolognese Packed in Aluminium Foil Containers. ESU-services Ltd. Uster, Switzerland. Commissioned by European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), Düsseldorf, Germany.
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2009) LCA of Chocolate Packed in Aluminium Foil Based Packaging. ESU-services Ltd. Uster, Switzerland. Commissioned by German Aluminium Association (GDA) in cooperation with European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), Düsseldorf, Germany.
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2009) LCA of Yoghurt Packed in Polystyrene Cup and Aluminium-Based Lidding. ESU-services Ltd. Uster, Switzerland. Commissioned by German Aluminium Association (GDA) in cooperation with European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), Düsseldorf, Germany.
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2009) The role of flexible packaging in the life cycle of coffee and butter. Int J LCA. DOI 10.1007/s11367-008-0056-2
Büsser S. and Jungbluth N. (2008) LCA of a Roast Stored in Aluminium Household Foil. ESU-services Ltd. commissioned by European Aluminium Foil Association e.V. (EAFA), Düsseldorf, DE and Uster, CH.
Büsser, S., Steiner, R., Jungbluth, N. 2008: LCA of Food Products/Packed Goods: Coffee, butter, spinach. ESU-services Ltd. im Auftrag von Flexible Packaging Europe, Uster.
