The impact of plastic packaging on life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe

In order to produce plastic packaging, energy resources are consumed. Currently such energy resources are almost entirely obtained from non-renewable sources and by using them, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are produced. Nevertheless, even more energy would be consumed and more GHG emissions emitted, if plastic packaging were to be substituted by alternative materials.

This report on packaging was extracted from the study “The impact of plastics on life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions inEurope” produced by Denkstatt and published in July 2010. The study has been critically reviewed by Adisa Azapagic, Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, United Kingdom and Roland Hischier, member of the Technology & Society Laboratory at EMPA, the Swiss Federal.

To read the full report, please click below.