Environmental performance of plastic food packaging: Life cycle assessment extended with costs on marine ecosystem services

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164781
• Publication Date: 2023-06-13T06:33:56Z
• Authors: Lieselot Boone; Nils Préat; Trang T. Nhu; Fabio Fiordelisi; Valérie Guillard; Matthias Blanckaert; Jo Dewulf
• Keywords: Plastic packaging; Food Waste

Packaging can play a substantial role in moving towards more sustainable food systems by affecting the amount of loss and waste. However, use plastic packaging gives rise to environmental concerns, such as high energy fossil resource use, waste management issues marine litter. Alternative biobased biodegradable materials, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) could address some these issues. For careful comparison terms sustainability between fossil-based, non-biodegradable alternative packaging, not only production but also preservation end-of-life (EoL) fate must be considered. Life cycle assessment (LCA) used evaluate performance, burden plastics released into natural environment is yet embedded classical LCA. Therefore, new indicator being developed that accounts for effect litter on ecosystems, one main burdens plastic's EoL fate: lifetime costs ecosystem services. This enables quantitative thus addresses major criticism The comprehensive analysis performed case falafel packaged PHBV conventional polypropylene (PP) packaging. Considering impact per kilogram consumed, ingredients make largest contribution. LCA results indicate clear preference PP trays, both (1) dedicated treatment (2) packaging-related impacts. mainly due higher mass volume tray. Nevertheless, since has limited persistence compared ES are about seven times lower, this despite its mass. Although further refinements needed, additional allows balanced evaluation