Addressing the circularity and sustainability of different single-use and reusable crates used for fresh fruit and vegetables packaging

IF 8.5 1区农林科学 Q1 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Food Packaging and Shelf Life Pub Date : 2024-11-13 DOI:10.1016/j.fpsl.2024.101391

Laura Rasines , Guillermo San Miguel , Blanca Corona , Encarna Aguayo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study assesses the sustainability of single-use (cardboard and wooden) crates and reusable plastic crates (RPC) from three perspective life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC) and circular indicators: Material Circular Indicator (MCI), Material Reutilisation Score (MRS), and Circular Index (CI). A cradle-to-grave life cycle approach was applied to transporting 1 kg of fresh fruit or vegetables to the retailer point. The base case assumed single use for cardboard and wooden crates and 140 rotations for RPC. An optimised scenario was also assessed for RPC, assuming full recycling at its end-of-life. LCA, LCC, and circular indicators (MCI and CI) results indicated that RPC was the most sustainable and circular packaging. Increasing RPC recyclability to 100 % improved circularity scores, however its environmental impact slight increased. These results reflect that the food industry should adopt RPC use because of their higher economic, environmental performance, and circularity.

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解决用于新鲜水果和蔬菜包装的不同一次性和可重复使用周转箱的循环性和可持续性问题

本研究从生命周期评估（LCA）、生命周期成本核算（LCC）和循环指标三个角度评估了一次性（纸板和木质）周转箱和可重复使用塑料周转箱（RPC）的可持续性：材料循环指标（MCI）、材料再利用得分（MRS）和循环指数（CI）。采用 "从摇篮到坟墓 "的生命周期方法，将 1 千克新鲜水果或蔬菜运输到零售点。基础方案假定纸板和木箱只使用一次，而 RPC 则轮换使用 140 次。还对 RPC 的优化方案进行了评估，假定在其使用寿命结束时完全回收利用。生命周期评估、生命周期成本和循环指标（MCI 和 CI）结果表明，RPC 是最具可持续性和循环性的包装。将 RPC 的可回收性提高到 100%，可提高循环性得分，但其对环境的影响略有增加。这些结果表明，由于 RPC 具有更高的经济性、环境性能和循环性，食品行业应采用 RPC。

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来源期刊

Food Packaging and Shelf Life Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Food Science

CiteScore

14.00

自引率

8.80%

发文量

214

审稿时长

70 days

期刊介绍： Food packaging is crucial for preserving food integrity throughout the distribution chain. It safeguards against contamination by physical, chemical, and biological agents, ensuring the safety and quality of processed foods. The evolution of novel food packaging, including modified atmosphere and active packaging, has extended shelf life, enhancing convenience for consumers. Shelf life, the duration a perishable item remains suitable for sale, use, or consumption, is intricately linked with food packaging, emphasizing its role in maintaining product quality and safety.