Life cycle assessment (LCA) of PET and PLA bottles for the packaging of fresh pasteurised milk: The role of the manufacturing process and the disposal scenario

Desole, Maria Pia; Aversa, Clizia; Barletta, Massimiliano; Gisario, Annamaria; Vosooghnia, Alireza

doi:10.1002/pts.2615

Cited by 20 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…By taking the masses and transfer coefficient listed in Table S1.3, this concentration limit for the sorted product is 8%. Due to the fact that PLA objects have distinctively different NIR spectra than objects made from PET, 13 these types of limits are easy to accomplish in modern sorting facilities.…”

Section: Impact Of the Recycling Methods On The Optical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PLA is a renewable plastic that is currently available on a large scale and its application for multiple packaging applications could in principle result in lower environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to fossil-based packages. [10][11][12][13] These lower environmental impacts are attained in case the PLA packages have the same weight as the fossil based packages, do maintain the same level of product losses as the fossil based packages and the PLA packages would be mechanically recycled. [10][11][12][13] To enable the recycling of PLA packages, the collection and recycling system for lightweight packaging waste (LWP) would need to be altered, and PLA packages could be sorted out as a separate plastic waste fraction 14,15 and recycled separately.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[10][11][12][13] These lower environmental impacts are attained in case the PLA packages have the same weight as the fossil based packages, do maintain the same level of product losses as the fossil based packages and the PLA packages would be mechanically recycled. [10][11][12][13] To enable the recycling of PLA packages, the collection and recycling system for lightweight packaging waste (LWP) would need to be altered, and PLA packages could be sorted out as a separate plastic waste fraction 14,15 and recycled separately. [16][17][18] Its application should, however, not hamper the recycling of other packages.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Effect of poly lactic acid trays on the optical and thermal properties of recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate)

et al. 2022

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To progress towards a more sustainable plastic system, multiple interventions are required, including the decoupling from fossil feedstock. Biobased plastics therefore have to be integrated in plastic waste management systems. This should, however, not hamper the performance of current recycling systems. Several studies have previously suggested that the uptake of poly lactic acid (PLA) in this system would endanger poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) recycling. This study reports the estimated concentration of PLA in recycled PET and the effect of the presence of this impurity on the optical and thermal properties of recycled PET. The current concentrations of PLA in recycled PET in the Netherlands were modelled to vary between 0% and 0.019%. When the PLA consumption rises, the concentration in recycled PET can be kept below 1% with NIR technologies. The impact of 0.1 to 1% PLA in recycled PET on the optical and thermal properties was negligible. Conversely, the negative impact of 0.1% PVC was substantial. Also the impact of 0.1% EVOH on recycled PET was studied and like PLA found to be limited. This study therefore contravenes previous studies on the impact of PLA on the quality of recycled PET. The difference between this study and the previous studies is that within this study, recycled PET has been processed in agreement with industrial methods. Therefore, in case the sorting and recycling facilities maintain their current careful operation, no negative impact of PLA on PET recycling can be foreseen, and further integration of biobased plastics in the plastic waste management system can be pursued.

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Section: Impact Of the Recycling Methods On The Optical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Effect of poly lactic acid trays on the optical and thermal properties of recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate)

et al. 2022

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“…Numerous studies have been recently conducted to highlight the issues related to the production of plastics from non-renewable and poorly biodegradable sources [ 210 , 211 , 212 ]. These issues should be understood and exploited with a view towards a greener recycling process for petroleum-based materials, with the hope of eventually replacing them entirely.…”

Section: Biodegradable Packaging From Agri-food Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

The Green Era of Food Packaging: General Considerations and New Trends

et al. 2022

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Recently, academic research and industries have gained awareness about the economic, environmental, and social impacts of conventional plastic packaging and its disposal. This consciousness has oriented efforts towards more sustainable materials such as biopolymers, paving the way for the “green era” of food packaging. This review provides a schematic overview about polymers and blends of them, which are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional plastics. Focus was dedicated to biopolymers from renewable sources and their applications to produce sustainable, active packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In particular, the incorporation of plant extracts, food-waste derivatives, and nano-sized materials to produce bio-based active packaging with enhanced technical performances was investigated. According to recent studies, bio-based active packaging enriched with natural-based compounds has the potential to replace petroleum-derived materials. Based on molecular composition, the natural compounds can diversely interact with the native structure of the packaging materials, modulating their barriers, optical and mechanical performances, and conferring them antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Overall, the recent academic findings could lead to a breakthrough in the field of food packaging, opening the gates to a new generation of packaging solutions which will be sustainable, customised, and green.

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“…Overall, the main sector of application was always the food sector. For instance, bioplastics were tested as films for bakery products [11], bags for fruit and vegetables [12,13] and bottles for fresh milk [14] and water [15] or for bottle lids [16]. Some biopolymers, such as casava starchbased films, were also applied as packaging for cheese, yogurt, chocolate, butter, meal and oil [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic Versus Bioplastic as Packaging for Sanitary Products: The Environmental Impacts Comparison

Stefanini,

Paini,

Vignali

2024

Packag Technol Sci

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Plastic or bioplastic? Which is the least impactful flexible packaging solution for the environment? In literature, few works try to answer this question, and most of them are focused on food packaging applications, comparing only polylactic acid (PLA) with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other virgin plastics. Besides these lacks in the literature, this work aims at contributing to the scientific knowledge, helping in the meanwhile packaging companies to choose the best solution also for hygienic and sanitary applications as far as the environmental impact is concerned. The study is focused on the life cycle assessment of four solutions made of maize starch, PLA and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) and a recycled LDPE (R‐LDPE). The functional unit was a flexible packaging containing 10 sanitary towels. Primary data were retrieved thanks to an Italian company, whereas secondary data were extracted from the Ecoinvent 3.7 database. The SimaPro 9.4 software has been used to calculate the global warming, water consumption, acidification and abiotic depletion of elements and fossil fuels of each packaging solution. The results show that the raw materials and packaging production are the most impactful phases during the life cycle of plastics and bioplastics packaging, if compared to the distribution phase, the auxiliary materials involved and the final disposal. Great benefits could be gained using recycled plastics, which allow to reduce the extraction of virgin materials and overall appear as the best solution from an environmental point of view to package also sanitary products.

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Life cycle assessment (LCA) of PET and PLA bottles for the packaging of fresh pasteurised milk: The role of the manufacturing process and the disposal scenario

Cited by 20 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of poly lactic acid trays on the optical and thermal properties of recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate)

Effect of poly lactic acid trays on the optical and thermal properties of recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate)

The Green Era of Food Packaging: General Considerations and New Trends

Plastic Versus Bioplastic as Packaging for Sanitary Products: The Environmental Impacts Comparison

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