Life Cycle Assessment of Take-Away Food Containers An Analysis of Dry Moulding Compared to Traditional Methods
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Industrial ecology (MPTSE), MSc
Publicerad
2021
Författare
Svensson, Amanda
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
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Volymtitel
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Sammanfattning
SUMMARY
Packaging is a vital part of everyday life, and its wide-spread global use has led to concerns about the
environmental impact it can cause. Regulations appearing as a result of these concerns are fuelling the
exploration of new packaging technology which reduces the environmental impact. The aim of this study
was to explore sustainability efforts occurring in companies working with the Loop Factory with regards to
the packaging they use and to conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) on dry moulded packaging technology
being developed by The Loop Factory in comparison to other alternatives in order to assess the
environmental impact of the technologies. The packaging application in this study was food takeaway trays.
The life cycle assessment conducted was a cradle-to-grave study of dry moulded, wet moulded, and
polypropylene food trays. The results of customer interviews show an increased pressure on companies to
design and produce packaging with a minimized environmental impact. The results of the LCA list impacts
for global warming, acidification, eutrophication, abiotic resource use, and cumulative energy demand. Also
shown is a sensitivity analysis for a range of recycling rates, as well as a sensitivity analysis which added
a wet moulded tray which was produced in Europe, as the original wet moulded tray shown in the results is
made in China, The results of the life cycle assessment show a favourable performance for dry moulded
trays in many cases, though particular attention must be paid to the use of different energy systems used
when attempting to compare the results, as the wet moulded trays are produced in China, while the rest of
the trays are produced in Europe. Sensitivity analysis varying the recycling rate and production location
showed the change in the results possible with different choices and allowed for better comparison between
the trays. The results emphasize the importance of disclosing modelling choices and transparency when
using life cycle assessment. When choosing packaging in the future, users will need to weigh the
importance of different environmental impact categories, material choices, and end-of-life treatment in order
to decide the best option for packaging.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
life cycle assessment , moulded pulp , packaging , sustainability