Current state and research directions for disposable versus reusable packaging: A systematic literature review of comparative studies

Abstract

The use of disposable and reusable packaging is a hot topic in policy and practice, but different studies have come to different conclusions on when each packaging type is the more sustainable alternative. The purpose of this paper is to map and review scientific literature that compares disposable and reusable packaging for food, beverages and e‐commerce from a sustainability perspective. The methodology is a systematic literature review, which identifies 91 scientific papers. The paper describes and analyses the origin, characteristics and state of current knowledge and then proposes future research directions within five areas. It identifies and presents what is known in literature to achieve environmental and social sustainability, as well as circularity for disposable compared to reusable packaging. The review shows that the literature is to great extent qualitative, often studying individual products in a specific context. European studies dominate the current literature, and many of them revolve around a few types of products and packaging. Slightly under half of the studies use the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The review of these studies provides some indicative suggestions for when disposable and reusable packaging is environmentally preferable, but the number of LCA studies is too limited, and their content too fragmented to draw general conclusions about this. Overall, the review of 91 articles shows a great need for continued research that compares the environmental efficiency of disposable and reusable packaging. It also highlights the necessity for more knowledge to be able to clearly state under what conditions and in what contexts disposable and reusable packaging are the most sustainable options.