Case study: Packaging

Global packaging production is expected to increase significantly in the future due to both demographic and macroeconomic trends. As a direct consequence, packaging waste generation will increase accordingly. The Circular Economy (CE) both offers new directions and supports current practice in the packaging sector, e.g. in terms of promoting reuse and recycling. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been extensively used to support decisions in the packaging sector, both at the product level, e.g. in relation to packaging design, and at the organizational level, e.g. in terms of resource optimization. However, there are open issues in the application of LCA for packaging in a CE context that need to be tackled. In this chapter, the main methodological challenges for LCA of packaging are discussed in terms of definition of functional unit and system boundary, end-of-life modelling (both recycling and reuse), impact assessment and footprinting. The main implications for the packaging sector and its use of LCA are discussed in terms of trends and challenges for CE implementation, focusing on the role of design, business models, and consumers’ perceptions. Finally, the concerns related to food safety and food-packaging systems as constraints for CE development in the packaging sector are addressed.