The influence of packaging attributes on consumer behaviour in food-packaging LCA studies:a neglected topic

Wikström, Fredrik and Williams, Helén and Verghese, Karlie and Clune, Stephen (2014) The influence of packaging attributes on consumer behaviour in food-packaging LCA studies:a neglected topic. Journal of Cleaner Production, 73. pp. 100-108. ISSN 1879-1786

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Abstract

The role of packaging systems to reduce food waste is rarely modelled in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies. This means that a packaging system format with a lower environmental impact that causes high food waste, may appear to be a better alternative than a packaging system with a higher environmental impact that reduces food waste. This can be contradictory to the purpose of using LCA to reduce overall environmental impacts, because food generally has a higher environmental impact than the packaging system. This paper highlights packaging attributes that may influence food waste, and demonstrates via six packaging scenarios how the environmental impact for the functional unit of “eaten food” can be calculated when food waste is included. The results show that the function of “avoiding food waste” is a critical packaging issue. The connection between packaging design and food waste should be acknowledged and valued by relevant stakeholders such as: food producers, manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and consumers, and also in packaging regulations. To fully explore the potential for packaging systems to reduce their overall environmental impact, food waste should be included.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Cleaner Production
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/aacsb/disciplinebasedresearch
Subjects:
?? FUNCTIONAL UNITCONSUMER BEHAVIOURPACKAGINGFOOD WASTELCAPACKAGING ATTRIBUTESENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE(ALL)STRATEGY AND MANAGEMENTINDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERINGRENEWABLE ENERGY, SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENTDISCIPLINE-BASED RESEARCH ??
ID Code:
67744
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
28 Nov 2013 09:52
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
20 Sep 2023 00:34