Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Takeaway Packaging Currently Used in United Kingdom
Keywords:
Life Cycle Assessment, Single-use packaging, Sustainable waste management, Environmental impactsAbstract
Contemporary lifestyle changes in the United Kingdom emphasizing convenience and speed have resulted in a continuous increase in single used packaging demand, generating multidimensional environmental impacts including greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and plastic waste pollution. This study aims to evaluate and compare the environmental impacts of two types of takeaway food packaging: PET containers with lids and water-resistant coated paper packaging. The research employed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in accordance with ISO 14040 standards covering a cradle-to-grave system boundary and a functional unit of a 750-milliliter container. The assessment employed the Ecoinvent version 3 database and the SimaPro software with the Environmental Footprint (EF) method. A hotspot analysis was also conducted to identify the processes generating the highest environmental impacts for each packaging type. The results show that PET packaging demonstrates the highest environmental impact across climate change, resource use, eutrophication, and acidification categories, while paper packaging exhibits the greatest impact on land use. Hotspot analysis reveals that the material production stage of both packaging types represents the most significant environmental impact. The results serve as a guideline for producers and businesses to improve production processes, adopt sustainable raw materials, and invest in closed-loop recycling systems, while also raising consumer awareness on responsible packaging use and waste separation
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