KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (한국포장학회지)

Korea Society of Packaging Science and Technology (한국포장학회)
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Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Reusable and Disposable Distribution Packaging for Fresh Food

신선식품용 재사용 EPE박스와 EPS박스에 대한 전과정 환경영향평가

  • SY Kim (Dept. of Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • Charoensri Korakot (Dept. of Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • YJ Shin (Dept. of Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • HJ Park (Dept. of Biotechnology, Korea University)
  • Published : 2023.12.31
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Abstract

In this study, we conducted a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of two different products, considering reusable and single-use packaging for fresh food distribution. For reusable packaging, we utilized expanded polyethylene (EPE), while for comparison, a disposable box made of widely used expanded polystyrene (EPS) was selected. We comprehensively analyzed the environmental impacts of production, transportation, reprocessing (for reused boxes), and disposal across 18 impact categories. Upon analyzing the actual reuse of 300 rounds of fresh food, the cumulative global warming potential (GWP) values for the EPE box were found to be 280.21 kg carbon dioxide (CO2) eq, demonstrating a significant 75% reduction compared to those of the EPS box. Furthermore, it was observed that the GWP values for the EPE boxes became equivalent to those of the EPS boxes after 12 rounds of reuse. In conclusion, reusable packaging shows substantial potential to contribute to the reduction of environmental burdens, aligning well with global environmental requirements for sustainable food distribution and related industries.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2021년 산업통상자원부의 클린팩토리 기술개발사업 (과제번호: 20015687)의 지원을 받아 수행된 연구임.

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