To Wrap Or to Not Wrap Cucumbers?

• DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.750199
• Publication Date: 2022-06-30T08:28:22Z
• Authors: Chandrima Shrivas...; Eleonora Crenna; Seraina Schudel; Kanaha Shoji; Daniel Onwude; Roland Hischier; Thijs Defraeye
• Keywords: Plastic packaging; Plastic bag; Plastic film

In light of increasing public pressure, retailers strive to remove plastic packaging as much possible from fresh fruits and vegetables reduce the environmental impacts along their supply chains. Plastic packaging, however, also has an important protective function, similar fruit's peel. For cucumbers transported Spain sold in Switzerland, our investigations form a life cycle assessment study showed that wrapping rather low impact (only about 1%) comparison total fruit grower grocer. Hence, each cucumber be thrown away equivalent 93 wraps. We found protects environment more by saving spoilage than it harms additional use plastic. If, using wrap, we losses at retail only 1.1%, its already net benefit. Currently, import chain lowers estimated 4.8%; therefore, makes sense perspective. The benefit food waste reduction due was 4.9 times higher negative itself. Alternative strategies preserve without will have compete with this challenging limit.