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2016 | Buch

Environmental Footprints of Packaging

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This book presents detailed discussions concerning the environmental footprints of various packaging systems and materials, life cycle assessments of packaging, sustainable design of various packaging systems and materials, as well as the biodegradation of various packaging materials.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
Life-Cycle Assessment of Food-Packaging Systems
Abstract
Food packaging plays a fundamental role in today’s society because it protects food from external sources of contamination and preserves food properties during the entire assigned shelf life. Due to this fundamental role, its use is increasingly widespread including emerging or underdeveloped countries. The global amount of packaging materials manufactured and disposed of every day has led many researchers to deal with the issue of their environmental impact. Several studies have been performed starting from 1990 to the present that have been aimed at demonstrating the best type of use of and end of life for each type of food-packaging material. In recent years, some studies have also demonstrated how the extension of the food shelf life by means of improved packaging could decrease the environmental impact of an entire packaged food based mainly on the reduction of the associated food waste. Based on these premises, this chapter aims at reviewing the main articles in the field of environmental assessment of food packaging by means of a life-cycle assessment approach and showing how, during the last two decades, this issue has received increasing attention. The review was performed by analysing 172 scientific papers collected from the Scopus database using specific keywords and refining the results based on a detailed analysis of the content of each article. The results show how interest in this topic has grown consistently during the last 25 years and indicates several research lines available for further studies in this field.
Giuseppe Vignali
Sustainable Design of Packaging Materials
Abstract
The development and production of products in a more sustainable way has received special attention in recent years. In particular, packaging products range from single materials with simple designs as well as complex ones that include different materials (cardboard, woody boards, paper, plastics, etc.). A comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts of a product’s life cycle comprises functions from the extraction of raw materials to waste management and disposal (i.e., the life cycle-assessment perspective). Thus, the knowledge of the environmental impacts of packaging products used in a specific production sector is a factor of major importance not only with the aim of improving the environmental performance of products and/or processes but also to fulfill the requirements of the ecological/green products market. One of the most valid tools to assess and reduce the inherent environmental burdens associated with products is ecodesign or Design for the Environment (DfE). This methodology consists of applying environmental criteria to the development of a product and implies a change of how we regard that product. The assessment of environmental improvement of the product’s entire life cycle is also considered for a comprehensive analysis. To demonstrate the application of DfE in the ecodesign of packaging products, a wooden storage box was assessed. Different types of materials, such as timber, plywood, engineered woods, plastics, brads, hoods, and/or staples, can be considered in the manufacture process. This type of box is often used for packaging when mechanical resistance is required for heavy loads, long-term warehousing, or adequate rigidity. Moreover, when such a box is used in the food sector, its production chain must include fitosanitary thermal treatment. According to the assessment by means of DfE methodology, the relevance of the raw materials chosen, as well as their origin, can greatly influence the associated environmental burdens, which can also be confirmed quantitatively by LCA. Thus, a correct methodological adaptation of the concept of “eco-briefing” as a tool for communication among environmental technicians and designers, includes the simplification of the analytical tool used and the application of the life cycle-assessment methodology, which facilitates the environmental analysis, are required to obtain new formats of packaging materials designed within a sustainable perspective.
Sara González-García, Esther Sanye-Mengual, Pere Llorach-Masana, Gumersindo Feijoo, Xavier Gabarrell, Joan Rieradevall, Maria Teresa Moreira
Organization Life-Cycle Assessment (OLCA): Methodological Issues and Case Studies in the Beverage-Packaging Sector
Abstract
The management of packaging materials and their interactions with the environment is central to international debate. The reasons are manifold: packaging is essential to guarantee the good quality of the products they contain; its production can require the significant use of natural resources; and consumers’ decisions are influenced by the environmental performances of packaging with particular reference to their management at the end of life. In this context, packaging companies has proved to be particularly interested in the application of environmental management and improvement tools such as life-cycle assessment. One of the latest developments of this methodology is its application at the organizational level, which was recently standardized in the ISO/TS 14072. Even if the interest around this topic is rapidly increasing and significant experiences are emerging (e.g., Organizational Environmental Footprint Programme of the European Union), no relevant applications have been published in the packaging sector. The objective of this chapter is to present the most relevant challenges in the application of the organizational life-cycle assessment for the packaging sector from the choice of the functional unit and the definition of the system boundaries to the choice on the aggregation approaches and the assessment of environmental impacts. Such issues will also be presented from a practical perspective presenting relevant case studies and lessoned learned in the beverage-packaging sector.
Alessandro Manzardo, Andrea Loss, Anna Mazzi, Antonio Scipioni
Potentials of Fibrous and Nonfibrous Materials in Biodegradable Packaging
Abstract
Packaging is a, essential requirement for fruits, vegetables, agricultural crops, food products, and other commodities to provide the requisite protection from physical damage, contamination, deterioration; to increase shelf life; and facilitate need-based supply from the producer to the consumer. The packaging material should be physically and mechanically strong and should not add any foul odor to the packed product. In the past, for packaging of the above-mentioned products as well as various industrial goods has been made of traditional to advanced materials such as metal and glass; ordinary, coated, and laminated paper; corrugated paper box; gunny sack; textile bag; bamboo slit; wooden box; biodegradable film; nonbiodegradable plastic/film; composite; and nanocopmosite/biocomposite, all of which have been widely used. During the past 50 years, synthetic polymers have been found to steadily replace traditional packaging materials because of their advantages of low cost, low density, inertness, resistance to microbial growth, thermoplasticity, and transparency. However, their usage currently is being partially restricted because they are not totally recyclable and/or biodegradable and thus lead to serious environmental problem. This has resulted in the development of biodegradable polymers/films such as starch, polylactic acid, protein-based film, poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoates (PHB), etc. It has been possible to enhance physico-mechanical and functional properties of such polymers by incorporating organic and inorganic nanoparticles such as silver, titanium, chitosan, cellulose, clay, starch, silica, and zein. Similarly, traditional to coated/laminated paper/paper board, jute fabric, and the corrugated fibre board have been utilized for conventional to high-end packaging.
Kartick K. Samanta, S. Basak, S. K. Chattopadhyay
Environmental Impacts of Packaging Materials
Abstract
When humankind began to store food or other items for next-day use, packaging in its primitive form emerged. In ancient times, leaves and bushes were used. By using high-end lightweight, durable, and cheaper material, today’s packing industry has evolved exponentially. The industry is continuously searching for packaging solutions that have better strength, are easier to handle, are hygienic, are lightweight, and, most importantly, are sustainable. The major packaging materials are plastic, polystyrene, cardboard, etc. All of these materials are low in cost, light in weight, and durable. The world’s growing population has led to large amount of packaging waste, which further contributes to the problem of its disposal and other environmental issues. High-energy consumption (embodied) and environmental problems are associated with packaging materials, which underscores the need to regard the proper use of packaging materials from an environment point of view. To analyse and quantify the environmental impacts associated with various packaging materials, an effective methodology is required. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is an effective tool that can be utilised to evaluate various environmental impacts of packaging materials. This chapter discusses the environmental impacts associated with packaging materials and the use of LCA to evaluate these impacts so that they can be reduced considerably.
Varun, Aashish Sharma, Himanshu Nautiyal
Bioprocessing of Metals from Packaging Wastes
Abstract
Packaging refers to the covering used to protect the product inside. Metals—such as iron, copper, and their alloys, i.e., brass and bronze, have been used for the packaging and storage of goods since ancient times. Unique properties of metals, particularly the ease of fabrication, strength, thermal and electrical conductivities, and ability to hold diverse materials securely in different states, make them an essential packaging material either as such or as composites with materials such as polymers, fibers, plastics, and ceramics. Boxes, cans, cylinders, and foils made from iron, aluminum, tin, copper, etc., are the most common and everyday examples of metal-based packaging; however, specialized packaging requirements, e.g., for electronic parts, composites based on different metals are preferred. After its end use, discarded packaging becomes a major contributor to waste generation. Completely metal-based packages can be recycled; however, this becomes expensive for composites. In such cases, landfilling is the most common disposal method, which may cause adverse impacts on human health through the contamination of groundwater and soil. This calls for effective and better alternate metal waste-management options that can help metal recycling and recovery. In this chapter, we present a brief introduction of metal-based packaging, their various methods of disposal, and recovery and recycling options with particular focus on biotechnological approaches. With the help of different examples and recent developments in the recovery and reuse of waste metals, potential sustainable and cost-effective solutions in managing metallic or metal-based packaging waste are discussed.
Meenu Gautam, Divya Pandey, Madhoolika Agrawal
Environmental Implications of Reuse and Recycling of Packaging
Abstract
A major issue confronting the community and government is waste disposal. A considerable amount of waste is generated when consumers procure and use products. The disposal of waste has become a serious problem due to the increase in the number of consumers and high waste generation. According to the Manual on Municipal Solid Waste Management, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India (2000), approximately 0.1 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in India every day leading to almost 36.5 million tons/y. Many manufacturers and retailers are earnest in promoting their brands by the use of excessive packaging without regard to real human needs or environmental concerns. This has resulted in an enormous amount of waste, which calls for numerous waste-management policies. Reduce, reuse, and recycle are tools to minimize the negative implications of manufacturing and retailing on the environment. Design experts today create packaging solutions that consider the optimum use of raw materials and techniques as well as the use of recycled materials in inventory, which can in turn be reused, recycled, composted, or become a source of energy recovery. This chapter presents an overview of the impact of the industrial packaging supply chain on environment, the challenges facing environmentally conscious manufacturing, concepts underlying reuse and recycling of packaging, and the trends in green packaging. The environmental implications of the reuse and recycling of packaging were shown to be beneficial in case studies in terms of raw material, resources, cost, and reduction in landfills. Challenges regarding waste may be different in different countries, but the path to addressing the problems of the waste sector may be common. Evidence from case studies proves that ecologically sustainable concepts lead to savings in resources and have a positive effect on the environment giving a competitive advantage to firms. Prevention and reduction of waste at the source and circular global economy will be of primary importance for all countries to bring about radical changes toward greening the waste sector.
Shanthi Radhakrishnan
Metadaten
Titel
Environmental Footprints of Packaging
herausgegeben von
Subramanian Senthilkannan Muthu
Copyright-Jahr
2016
Verlag
Springer Singapore
Electronic ISBN
978-981-287-913-4
Print ISBN
978-981-287-911-0
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-913-4