Exploring the environmental performance of alternative food packaging products in the European Union : life cycle impacts of single-use and multiple-use packaging

The aims of this study are aligned with the EU's objectives of reducing the impacts of packaging waste, in line with its ambition to transition to a circular economy and with the objectives of the proposal for a new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models, structured in accordance with the Environmental Footprint method, were used to establish benchmark results and to scrutinise the variability of parameters through sensitivity analyses. The research incorporated six case studies, categorised into four scenarios. These studies evaluated the environmental impacts of both single use and multiple use packaging products, including packaging used in the hotel, restaurant and catering sector, such as cups, trays, beverage containers, and glass bottles used for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, the study assessed the environmental performance of single use and multiple use packaging in a dine-in restaurant case study. The LCA results revealed that the performance of the packaging products varied, depending on the specific case study and Environmental Footprint impact category evaluated, with single use and multiple use packaging products demonstrating either lower or higher impacts. Benchmark scenarios focusing on single use takeaway carton packaging showed that it had a lower Climate Change impact than its multiple use counterpart. However, the latter manifested a lower Water Use impact and a slightly lower aggregated Single Score. Conversely, scenarios assessing the environmental performance of glass bottles and the dine-in restaurant scenario consistently showed that multiple use packaging products had lower impacts across most impact categories and the majority of the sensitivity analysis simulations. A further examination, involving the use of different life cycle datasets for cartonboard manufacturing, highlighted the large influence of these datasets on the final LCA results for single use packaging. In particular, when considering life cycle datasets for cartonboard with low environmental impacts, the performance of single use packaging was clearly better, especially for the Water Use impact category, and also to a lesser extent for the Climate Change impact category and the aggregated Single Score. Notably, the study identified additional relevant aspects (and assumptions) that could affect the performance of single use and multiple use packaging products, particularly those related to consumer behaviour regarding the return of multiple use packaging to the point of sale, the number of reuses and the impact of washing operations (for multiple use packaging).